Frost and Flame
by DragonFlyer9
Summary: "You can't kill fear." Pitch Black has spent two years in the shadows, weak and full of hatred. Feeding off the world's fear, he has grown strong once more. His lust for revenge is stronger than ever; only this time, he's willing to do whatever it takes.
1. Chosen

"Jack!" North's irritated voice sounded, echoing loudly through the Pole. The white-haired spirit bounded through the workshop playfully, freezing anything he came across. Toys, elves; you name it, he froze it.

He raced into yet another room, only to be grabbed by his hood and lifted off the ground by a yeti. He struggled but couldn't get free. He waved his staff blindly behind him, making contact with something. Given the small screech and what happened next, Jack assumed he must have hit the yeti's face. He felt something furry grip his ankle tightly. Next thing he knew, he was hanging upside-down.

He saw North walk into the room towards him. His arms were folded across his chest; his facial expression clearly showing that he was not impressed. Jack smiled innocently.

"Uh, hi North" he greeted him, as if nothing were wrong. North didn't respond. Instead, he continued to stare down at him.

"What's up?" Jack asked, despite his awkward position. He shifted somewhat uncomfortably. North couldn't help but smile. He adored the boy, regardless of the trouble he caused. It was one of the reasons he had offered to Jack to stay at the Pole, seeing as though he had nowhere else to go. Jack definitely appreciated having a home, even if it was only temporary.

North gestured his hands, indicating to the yeti to release him. The yeti dropped him instantly. Jack didn't have time to catch himself, and landed what looked to be harshly, headfirst. He pulled himself up though, casting a glare in the direction of his captor. He kicked up his staff from the floor to his hand, holding it in the direction of the yeti, who in returned, loomed over him. North intervened before anything further happened.

"Enough" he said, pushing them away from each other. He turned to Jack.

"Jack, the others are waiting." Jack didn't seem too interested at all in hearing this. He walked away, his staff over his shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah; I know." North took a large stride forward, grabbing the boy's shoulder firmly.

"Now, Jack." Jack sighed, rolling his eyes. But he didn't argue.

* * *

"What's this about anyway? Not like it's a big deal" Jack remarked as he followed North to where the others were waiting for them on the other side of the Globe. North looked at him in surprise.

"Big deal? Jack, this _is_ big deal! Man in Moon is choosing new guardian." Jack's attitude towards the situation didn't shift.

"So? It's a big deal for whoever he chooses then, not for us." North sighed deeply. He knew Jack still had much to learn about being a guardian.

Their conversation was cut short when they reached the others. Bunny hoped over to them. He looked to North, not even greeting Jack.

"Bout time mate" he said, not even trying to hide the annoyance in his voice. North's eyes flickered between him and the young guardian that stood beside him. Bunny understood, giving North an '_I told you so'_ look.

Despite the two of them having made a truce, Bunny still didn't trust Jack completely. Jack didn't exactly help by continuing his share of taunting in their petty quarrel. Sandy glided over, breaking the tension and reminding them of the situation, by forming a moon crescent above his head in Dream Sand.

North nodded. "Good point, Sandy. Man in Moon is waiting." They four of them walked over to Tooth, who was already waiting above the guardian tile on the floor.

Baby Tooth flew over to Jack from where she was beside Tooth. Jack greeted her warmly, smiling and touching her cheek with his finger.

The other guardians waited in silence as the moonlight shone down onto the tile, waiting anxiously as the crystal rose from the ground. The blue light released by the gemstone started to cloud together, forming the shape of the new guardian.

Finally, the image was complete. A smile graced Bunny's lips when he saw it; North looked taken aback. Tooth seemed nervous at Man in Moon's choice, while Sandy's expression remained unreadable. Jack, on the other hand, was outraged.

"What?!" he shouted. "You've gotta be kidding me!" His reaction made Bunny's smile grow larger. Tooth flew over to Jack's side, trying to calm him.

"Jack, calm down" she murmured in a gentle voice. Jack clenched his teeth together, but let his fists loosen.

"I don't care if Pitch has returned. I am not working with _her_" he snarled.

"Oh good. Now you know how I felt when you were chosen" Bunny retorted. Jack glared at him, but his gaze moved onto that of the Moon's choice. His blue eyes were filled with a hatred that none of the guardians had ever seen before. Sandy tapped on North's leg, gaining his attention. Multiple images appeared above his head, of the moon, a snowflake, and what looked to be fireworks but with a massive explosion. North understood the message. He stepped forward, facing Bunny.

"Bunny, you will go collect her" he decided. Bunny nodded, still smiling. Jack stepped forward, much to everyone's surprise.

"No." He spoke fiercely. "I'll get her." Unsure glances were exchanged throughout the room.

"Jack, I don't think that's such a good idea" Tooth said uneasily.

"If she's going to be a guardian, she'll have to accept the fact that I'm one too."

Whilst they were still uncertain, the guardians knew that Jack did make a good point. This new guardian would have to make their peace with Jack sooner or later, and due to the lack of time they had before Pitch's strength was fully recovered, sooner was the ideal choice.

"Alright" North decided. "Jack, you will bring her here. I'll send some yetis to assist you." Jack nodded. Although he looked less tense, there was still a certain ferocity being reflected in his eyes. The rest of the guardians all felt it; one way or another, something was going to go wrong.

Once Jack was gone, Bunny looked up at the moonlight image being projected. A young girl with unkempt hair, standing defensively with one hand shoved in the pocket of her torn pants, the other holding a dagger.

He wasn't glad she had been chosen; he was overjoyed.

* * *

**Ok. This is my first Rise of the Guardians Fanfic, so please go easy on me. I loved the movie, and have been thinking of writing this for a long time now. I will try to update frequently, but no promises. Tell me what you think. **


	2. Playing with Fire

**This story includes my OC. I've tried pretty hard not to make her cliche, so hopefully she turns out alright. I'll warn people now, there is a relationship between her and Jack, but not till much later on in the story. Right now they are rivals on the verge of being enemies. No romance for at least 5 chapters, guaranteed! **

**Basically, I wanted to make it that my character has an interest towards a certain child, like Jack did with Jamie. In the movie, there were two children that really captured my attention. The first was Sophie. Originally, I liked the idea of using her, before realizing that she and Bunny shared a bond. That ruled her out. The other was Pippa. And no, I don't mean Jack's nameless sister. I'm referring to Jamie's friend. The brown haired girl that always wears a cap. She partically caught my eye, mainly because I can relate to her a fair amount. Plus, she had no specific attachment to any of the guardians. She was the perfect choice. So expect to read a lot more to do with her. Oh, and I like Jamie and Pippa as a couple, so there might be slight hints of them in later chapters.**

**Enjoy. **

* * *

Twilight had just fallen upon the town of Burgess. Snow covered almost the entire ground, frost scattering every window. A young girl walked through the streets, her hands shoved into the depths of her pockets. She kept her head down, her black and red streaked hair sheltering her face from the cold winds. The jacket she wore was burnt, and had had its sleeves torn off. A ring of ash dappled her shoulder blades. Her pants were dark grey, torn in many areas, and frayed at the ends. A tattered belt was wrapped tightly around her slender waist, partially covered by the bottom of her jacket. Attached to the belt was a leather receptacle, holding a dagger.

The girl lifted her head slightly, her attention being drawn to two children playing in the snow a few paces away. Her amber eyes narrowed as she watched them. One of the children, a boy with brown hair, threw a snowball. It flew through the air, hitting the girl in the side of the face. She wore a white cap over the top of her short reddish-brown hair, as well as green sweater and scarf. The impact of the snowball made her stumble. She pulled herself back up, shivering.

"Jamie!" she yelled. "That was cold!" The boy who threw it, now known as Jamie, simply laughed.

"It's snow, Pippa. Of course it's cold" he called back, forming another white ball in his hands. The girl named Pippa managed to dodge this time, throwing one back at her friend. It collided into his chest.

"Got you!" she shouted excitedly. Jamie brushed the snow off his clothing.

"Lucky shot—" He was cut off as another snowball hit him, knocking him over. Pippa, who was tossing a third ball into the air and catching it, smirked at him.

"I don't think so." Jamie struggled to his feet.

"Ok, ok. You win." He put his hands up defensively as Pippa aimed her ammo at him. Pippa dropped the ball, wiping her hands clean of the snow.

"So, can you stay out tonight?" Jamie asked her, walking over to her side.

Pippa shook her head. "Nah, I wish. Dad said I have to help with the fireplace."

The girl, who had been watching them, widened her eyes in sudden interest. She leapt into the air, soaring over, landing on the base of a statue. She could hear their conversation much better now.

Jamie cocked his head to the side. "You mean he finally finished building it?"

He remembered Pippa telling him her dad's plans to construct a proper fireplace in their living room. That was over three months ago.

Pippa sighed softly. "Yeah. Well, sorta. He thinks he has, but I'm worried that he'll burn the whole house down" There was a light humour in her voice. Jamie smiled.

"Probably a good thing you'll be there to supervise him then" he joked. Pippa giggled. "Yeah, I suppose so."

She waved her farewell to Jamie, walking back through the streets towards her home. The girl watched her leave, her eyes flickering between her and Jamie. She decided to follow her. If this 'Pippa' was going to help her dad with a fireplace, then she'd need a hand from an expert.

The wind carried her body easily, allowing her to fly through the air, trailing the girl. When she reached a house, Pippa opened it and went in. The black-haired girl behind her, made her way over to a window, peering inside. She noticed Pippa, walking up to a man who was crouched down beside what looked to be a fireplace.

"Pippa, can you hand me those matches?" the man asked, pointing behind him to a small box that lay on a table on the other side of the room. The girl outside rolled her eyes at the sight of them.

"Cheat" she hissed under her breath.

Pippa did as told, grabbing the matches and handing them to her father.

"Here dad" she said, kneeling down beside him. She looked on anxiously as he lit one of them, setting the collected wood alight. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw that the fire was contained.

"I'll be back in a second. Watch the fire for me?" he dad asked. Pippa nodded, watching as he left the room.

Once he was gone, the girl outside pushed the window open, creeping inside. She leant up against the fireplace, feeling content by its warm atmosphere.

Pippa turned her attention back to the blaze. The warmth released by the fire felt comforting against her skin. She pulled her sweater up over her head, throwing it to the side of the room. She was wearing a white quarter-sleeve shirt underneath. She took hold of an iron poker, starting to jab at the flaming pieces of wood.

"Pippa!" She stopped what she was doing, looking up at her father. He ran over to her, snatching the poker from her hands. Pippa looked disappointed as he turned away, placing it back where she found it.

"Don't play with fire" he warned her. "You don't want to feel Jaz Flame's wrath, do you?" The dagger wielding girl's head shot up immediately at the sound of her name. Pippa stared at her father, confusion staining her face.

"Jaz Flame?" she questioned. Her dad merely laughed, turning back around. "It's just an expression kiddo." He said, tousling her covered hair, causing her cap to fall over her eyes. She smiled, pulling her cap back up.

Jaz, who was still leaning against the fireplace, felt a familiar emptiness overwhelm her. The smile faded from her face. Her sudden emotion made the fire start to burn out at an alarming rate. Pippa's father walked to the other side of the room, oblivious that the fire had grown weak.

"Uh, dad?" Pippa called, noticing the strange activity of the flames. Her voice snapped Jaz out of her depressed state of mind, making her realize what she was doing to the flames. She sighed, unsheathing her dagger from its receptacle. She knelt down. Holding her free hand out in front of her lips, she closed her eyes and blew gently. A smooth stream of fire flowed from her hand onto the wood. She held out her blade and other hand, moulding the fire with her hands.

Pippa watched in complete bewilderment as the fire suddenly grew, being shaped by some unknown force. She had never seen fire behave like that.

"What is it?" Pippa's dad called back. Pippa didn't know what to say.

"Um…never mind" she murmured, unsure of whether or not her father heard. Jaz stood up straight, returning her dagger to her belt.

"You're welcome" she muttered, despite knowing that no-one would hear her. She made her way back to the window she entered through. With a final glance at the amazed Pippa, she summoned the wind and flew off into the night.

* * *

Jaz landed in a clearing in a nearby forest. She sighed, gazing up at the moon as its light poured in through the gaps of the trees. Its silence filled Jaz with sorrow and loneliness, something she had grown used to over the many hundred years she'd existed for. She leapt up into the tree, letting her leg dangle limply off the side of the branch. She pulled out her dagger. The blood red gemstone embedded between the handle and the blade glowed with a silver outline in the moonlight. Her hand made its way to it, almost touching it. She wanted to, but there was some part of her that held her back. Instead, she started to twirl the knife between her fingers.

A cold chill suddenly blew past her. She stopped spinning her blade, gripping its handle tightly. She rose to her feet instantly, crouching on the branch defensively. There was something familiar about the wind that past her. It wasn't warm like the wind she flew by; it was ice cold. She could feel herself growing ever so slightly weaker by the sudden cold sensation. Her breath became visible in front of her; her chest felt heavy as every breath she took only heightened her uncertainties. Her eyes darted from side to side, trying to seek out the cause of this sudden change in the elements.

"Hello Jaz" a voice sounded from behind her. She lifted her head, pupils dilating. She spun around, drawing back the arm that held her dagger. She faced him, anger flooding her eyes. Jack stood on the branch, his staff held out towards her. Their weapons met.

* * *

**Please tell me what you think.**


	3. Taken

"Frost" Jaz spat.

"Flame" Jack replied, greeting her coldly. He knew he'd have to be smart about the situation, and watch what he said. Jaz had a temper, a fiery one at that. If he was going to make it out of this without scorch marks, he would have to be careful.

He lowered his staff slightly, in an attempt to make her feel less threatened. He wasn't looking for a fight, and he tried to think of how to show her that. He stepped back, giving her some space, and leant on his staff.

"I'm not looking for trouble" he said calmly. Jaz didn't seem to be any less enraged by his presence.

"Then why are you here" she growled.

"Why am I here? Why are _you_ here? Snow isn't exactly your thing" Jack reminded her, somewhat harshly. Jaz kept her eyes fixed on him.

"The children of Burgess might enjoy your snow in the daytime, but at night, people hate it. At night, it's heat they crave. The warmth of a fire; I give that to them."

Jack smirked. "Oh please. You think you're so important? When people want fire, they turn to matches, not you. See, real snow can't be made. But fire? All someone needs is two halves of a stick." His words cut deep into Jaz, but she refused to let him see how much they hurt. She narrowed her eyes.

"Then how about I borrow your stick and test out that theory?" she hissed, eyeing his staff. Jack held it close to his body. He knew full well what she was thinking of doing, but the fact that he knew she was capable of doing it, deliberately or not; that's what really scared him. Jaz was well-known for two things; her temper, and her habit of causing accidental devastation. Unlike Jack, Jaz had always struggled to control all of her abilities. She could summon the wind easily, and soar like an ember. Her fire powers were channelled through her dagger, and while she could generally keep it at bay, more than often, she would lose control.

A little to Jack's surprise, Jaz didn't make an attack. She even sheathed her dagger, before using the wind to ascend higher in the tree. Jack looked down, noticing one of the two yetis North had sent with him, gesturing for him to follow her.

With a sigh of exasperation, he flew after her.

"Jaz wait!" he called out to her. Jaz looked back, gritting her teeth together when she saw that he was following her. He was caught up quickly, until he was right behind her.

She pushed her way through the branches, drawing one back.

As soon as she was through, she released it from her grip. It flung back, slapping Jack in the face. He clutched the side of his head in pain. He glared up at her, aiming his staff at the branch she was about to land on. Ice shot out of it, freezing the branch.

Jaz landed on it, loosing her footing on its now slippery surface. She free fell from the tree. She grabbed her dagger from her belt, but before she could use her powers, the back of her head slammed into a thick branch, knocking her unconscious. She lost her grip on the blade. She continued to fall, her limp body smashing through several more branches before landing on the ground below with a sickening thud that echoed through the clearing.

Jack winced. "Woops" he whispered. He watched as her dagger fell after her. It sliced through the firm ground in a swift movement, landing dangerously close to Jaz's head. The yetis, who had witnessed the whole incident, covered their eyes. Jaz didn't move.

Releasing the breath that he had been holding, Jack jumped down the tree. He walked over to her, the yetis right behind him. One of them muttered something in yetish. Jack looked at them, the frustration being clearly reflected on his face.

"Of course I know she's unconscious!" he barked at them. He looked around in thought, running his fingers through his hair.

"Ok, we gotta go" he said as he turned to leave. The yetis spoke again, making Jack turn back.

"What do you mean 'how do we get her back?'" he asked, irritated. "She weighs as much as an ash particle, just pick her up!" The yetis looked at each other, shrugging, before one of them moved over to her body. She lay face-down, her hair splayed out, covering her eyes. The yeti shook her gently, but she still didn't wake. He places his large paw underneath her waist, flipping her over and lifting her upper body off the ground. Her head hung limply. He picked her up gently, carrying her over to the where the other yeti was waiting.

Jack meanwhile, had been examining Jaz's dagger. He crouched down, his head tipped to the side. He reached out to pull it out of the ground, but as soon as he touched it, a severe burning sensation shot through his hand. He pulled back instantly, trying not to scream. He had managed to remove it from the earth, but dropped it from the shock of the pain. He grasped his hand, feeling the throbbing pain ebb away slowly. He looked up, realizing both yetis were staring at him. He felt embarrassed, but he shook it off. When he opened his hand, the wound had already started to swell, but a thin layer of frost had formed around it, cooling the burn.

Gazing back down at the dagger, he noticed a similar sort of ice start to form along the handle, streaking its way up the sharpened edge of the blade.

"Oh…no…" Jack whispered. He stood up, turning to the yeti that wasn't holding Jaz.

"Well? Aren't you going to pick it up?" he questioned. The yeti said something in yetish again.

"I can't take it" Jack protested. "Did you not see what just happened?" The yeti continued to argue.

"Relax, it won't burn you." He was right. The blade had become ineffective thanks to Jack's ice. The yeti grumbled, but strode over and picked it up. Jack clasped his hands together, wincing.

"Alright, time to go." The yetis took out a snow globe, smashing it to the ground and opening a portal. Carrying Jaz's unconscious body with them, they jumped in. Jack followed, still clutching his injured hand.

Shadows streaked through the trees surrounding where the group had been moments ago. Black sand swarmed the area, bringing to life a nightmare mare. It grunted, its golden eyes glistening. Rearing up, it let out a loud cry. It raced through the trees, until it reached a broken bed. Without even slowing its pace, it dove into the hole beneath the wooden frame.

Through the narrow strip of darkness it fell. As soon as its hooves touched the ground, it galloped into a larger opening. A shadow rose from the ground beside it.

"What is news my fearling?" a dark voice asked. The nightmare neighed loudly. The shadow stepped into the light, revealing himself. _Pitch Black._

"What? Jack Frost took Jaz Flame?" He was clearly confused by this knowledge. The fearling grunted.

He put the pieces together in his mind. A grin grew across his pale face.

"Choosing her as a guardian?" A laugh escaped his lips. "Oh the Man in the Moon really must be desperate this time." He turned to the nightmare, stroking its neck.

"Keep an eye on her" he ordered it. "Fear is returning to the world, and each day, I grow stronger." As he spoke, he clenched his fist as a gesture of power.

"And this time, the guardians will not stop me."

* * *

The other side of the portal opened; Jack leapt out, landing lightly on his feet. The others, who had been pacing anxiously for his arrival, ran over to him and the yetis. Jack examined his wound, still swollen and surrounded by the layer of frost. He pouted.

"Jack!" Tooth greeted him. She followed his gaze, looking at his palm.

"You're hurt!" she exclaimed. Jack pulled his hand away, not wanting her to worry about it.

"I'm fine, just a little burn. Nothing to worry about" Tooth didn't look convinced, but she trusted him enough to not ask questions.

The yetis caught his attention as they carefully placed Jaz's body down on the ground. Bunny was first to react.

"When we said bring her back, we meant conscious!" he said angrily. His paw was raised, aimed at Jack. North stepped forward to Bunny's side, lowering his arm. He turned to Jack.

"What happened?" he questioned. His tone was much calmer than Bunny's, but he was just as concerned as to why she had been knocked out. Bunny looked at him, his eyes narrowed in anger. Jack rolled his eyes at him.

"Relax, would you? It was an accident. Besides, I got her here didn't I?" His rhetorical question seemed to only wind up Bunny more. He was attached to Jaz for some reason unknown to Jack, and he was determined to find out why.

"Why do you care so much anyway?" he asked, not really expecting an answer. He got one.

"We have something in common." Was Bunny's response.

Jack scoffed. "And what's that? The fact that you both don't like me?" Bunny smirked.

"Good guess mate." He turned away from Jack, heading over to Jaz's body. Jack knew there was more to it than that, but he figured it would be more than unlikely that he'd get the truth out of him.

It didn't take Bunny to realize her receptacle was empty.

"Where's her dagger?" he demanded. His gaze shifted. Sandy shrugged, wondering the same. Jack cocked his head in the direction of the yeti. The one holding it handed it over to Bunny. He examined it carefully, turning on Jack.

"You froze it?" he growled. Jack stood his ground.

"Another accident. And hey, I didn't exactly enjoy touching it" he said, stroking two of his fingers over the burn on his palm. Sandy exchanged a worried glance with North, forming the same snowflake and explosion as he did before. North seized the dagger from Bunny, handing it back to the yetis.

"This needs to be thawed. Keep it warm; bring it back to its original state" he ordered. The yeti nodded, taking the blade and hurrying off to perform the task as instructed.

"Guys," Tooth's voice rose above everyone else's. "She's waking up."

* * *

**I'm really hoping people are liking this story, at least so far. I would really like to know what you think. **


	4. Explanations

**It was a strain to get this done by today, but I was so excited cause Rise of the Guardians finally came out on dvd in Australia. After buying and watching it (again), I was given a fresh burst of inspiration. Honestly, I didn't expect to get this finished until Sunday at the earliest. **

* * *

Jaz's eyes flickered as she stirred awake. She lifted her arm to reach the back of her head, rubbing it as she sat up.

"Ugh…" she groaned, squinting in apparent pain. "Where am I?" she asked, unaware that she was not alone.

"Ah, good. You're awake" North exclaimed loudly, startling her. Jaz stared up at him in utter confusion as to where she was. Her eyes moved from person to person, narrowing when they fell upon Jack. Tooth flew up to her, in an attempt to distract her from her anger towards the winter spirit.

"How are you feeling?" she asked. Jaz glowered.

"What's going on?" she questioned, ignoring Tooth. North looked thoughtful, trying to think of the right words to say. Jaz didn't give him time to think of an answer. Her hand shuffled on the ground, feeling its way into her now empty receptacle. Her rage amplified.

"Where's my dagger?" she demanded, yelling. North, Sandy and Tooth all flinched, not knowing what to tell her. Bunny hopped forward.

"_He_ froze it" he explained, angling his head toward Jack.

Jaz's face paled. "What?" Her voice was less than a whisper. Bunny raised his paws in reassurance.

"Don't worry; it's being thawed as we speak." Jaz staggered to her feet, pacing over to where Jack stood.

"You froze my dagger?" Her voice remained hushed as she questioned him. Jack bit down on his lip. Something within Jaz snapped.

"You froze my dagger!" she screeched. Violent winds blew the windows open, releasing a storm inside the workshop. Her feet started to lift from the ground, until she was above all of them. Her arms were outstretched, her hair flailing like wild flames. The red streaks glowed with a strange and luminous light. Her pupils seemed to almost fade into the amber depths of her eyes, creating a glassy, clouded look about them.

North signalled to several yetis nearby, who were shielding their faces from the powerful winds. At once, they launched themselves towards her, grabbing hold of her arms and legs, forcing her down.

"Jaz!" North yelled through the chaos. "Enough!" The yetis grip managed to restrain most of her energy, drawing it back into her. Her legs give way beneath her, and if not for the yetis holding her, she would have collapsed. She was breathing heavily.

Though her eyes had returned to normal, her piercing glare was pinned on Jack. North stood in front of her, blocking him from her view.

"That's enough" he warned her. He leant in closer, his deep voice changing to a soft murmur.

"You're dagger is being tended to." Jaz turned her head away. On North's indication, the yetis let her go. Jaz returned to her feet, keeping her head down.

"I didn't walk away from it unscathed" Jack said defensively. He held up his palm, showing her the scar left by her blade. Jaz made her way over to him.

"You froze my dagger" she snarled at him.

"You slapped me in the face with a branch" Jack retorted. The tension was growing between them fast.

"You flung me out of a tree!"

"That was an accident!"

"Stop it!" Tooth shouted. The two of them turned to stare at the fairy, who was looking at them both in panic and anguish. "You're not helping anyone." Sandy pointed to Bunny, who nodded in agreement. His ears were back.

"Jaz" his voice was clear but firm. "Come with me." Jaz looked as though she would argue, but instead, she just sighed and paced after him.

Jack watched her leave, cringing.

"Jack" North's voice seemed to echo Bunny's. He looked at the white-haired teenager with a concerned look. Jack knew what he was in for, and before North could finish his sentence, he resentfully made his way over.

"Jack," North began, once they had made it to his office in the workshop. "I know you have a rivalry with Jaz, but she is guardian now. You must put it behind you." Jack pouted, leaning on his staff in a sulking manner.

"She's the one you should be talking to. All I did was bring her here; just like you asked." North stared at him, his eyebrow raised. They both knew that was not true.

"You are not child, Jack. You share responsibility with her in this fight. Bunny is talking some sense into her right now, as I am doing with you." Jack looked away, feeling the guilt rise within him.

He was right; he had done as much to Jaz as she had done to him. Not just today, but in the past as well. For as long as he had known her, the rivalry had been present. Being opposite elements, they mocked each other, and were locked in eternal conflict. One of the only things they shared in common was that as far as the world concerned, they didn't exist. Difference was, now he had believers. He failed to remember that she didn't. He thought back to how his life changed when he became a guardian. Maybe hers would too.

He figured it would only be fair. Seeing as though he had been through what she had; being alone, unseen, not knowing anything of your past or your purpose in this world. Everyone deserved a chance, so why not her too?

"Remember," North reminded him. "Jaz is not your enemy. Pitch is."

Jack had to admit, he was right; again. Jaz might be his elemental rival, but she was neither a foe nor an enemy. Regardless of the things he might have said to her in the past, he didn't want the world to be rid of her. She did bring some good things with her existence. He'd never let anyone else know that though, especially her.

A thought crossed Jack's mind. It was a long shot, but it might just work. If he could form a truce with her, like he had done with Bunny, then they may well be able to make this work. It was worth a try, right?

Jack looked at North, and nodded slowly.

"Alright" he agreed. He let his gaze flicker to the door. There would be no point trying to stretch it out. "I'll try."

Bunny looked over his shoulder several times as he made his way through the busy workshop, making sure that the young spirit was still behind him. Although she looked pretty pissed, she followed him without question. Bunny stopped when he reached one of the fireplaces. He knew that she'd be most comfortable in the heat of her own element. The last thing he wanted was her becoming even more of a handful to deal with. He was aware of what North wanted him to do; but convincing her to get along with Frost would be no easy task.

"Warm enough?" he asked her gently. She didn't respond, or even look at him. Bunny frowned. He hopped closer to her.

"Come on, Jaz. I'm just trying to help." He gazed down at the empty vessel attached to her belt when her silence continued.

"Your dagger will be fine mate. It just needs a bit of heating up" As he spoke, he took hold of her hand. To his surprise, he didn't feel a need to pull back. Usually, whenever he touched her skin, it was searing hot. However feeling it now, it was only warm, almost relaxing.

"And so do you" he added, letting go off her hand. He led her over to the fire. She engrossed its heat welcomingly. Jaz could feel her body growing strong again.

"Thank you, Bunny" she murmured, still refusing to look at his eyes. Bunny respected her decision.

"You're welcome Sparky." Jaz smiled half-heartedly as he used the nickname he had come up with for her years ago, back when they met.

Her mind was immersed as the memory filled her thoughts.

* * *

It had been 147 years since Jaz first awoke in the forest, and was given her name by the Moon. Since then, she had learnt that no-one anywhere saw her, and she figured they probably never would. She had mastered her powers over the wind, and had grown strong using her dagger. She had lost track of what day or even year it was, but there was one thing she knew. Easter was on the horizon. She, of course, had heard of the Guardians, but other than a few mini fairies and streams of dreamsand at night, she had never seen them. This year was different though.

She was determined to have an encounter with the Easter Bunny. She had heard so much about him, and was fascinated. The very idea that she would encounter him sent a shiver of excitement down her spine. But she wasn't going to stop there. She didn't just want to see him; she wanted to see his Warren. The place where the Easter was brought to life.

Jaz was well aware that getting to the Warren would be much easier said than done. Or at least, would have been, if she had not stolen a snow globe from a yeti the last time she had tried to get into North's workshop. It wasn't easy getting her hands on it, but she managed, and had held onto it just in case she needed to get somewhere fast.

Problem was, she had no clue on how to use it. She stared at its round surface, examining it for a button or an on switch. There wasn't one. Not that she could find.

"I just want to get to the Warren!" she shouted. In frustration, she smashed the globe onto the ground.

She jumped back in shock when a portal opened. She blinked her eyes several times, unable to believe what she had just accomplished. Not wasting another moment, she ran at the portal, landing anything but elegantly on the other side.

Jaz scrambled to her feet, her eyes wide as she gazed up in awe at her surroundings. She slowly walked forward, mesmerized. Gasping in amazement, she ran over to one of the hundreds of flowers, allowing a butterfly to perch on her finger. A smile spread across her face. She caught sight of the multi-coloured river. She crouched at the water's edge. Unable to restrain herself, she dabbed the water with the very tip of her blade.

"What are you doing here?" a new voice made her jump. Startled, she involuntarily shot flames from her brightly coloured dagger. The embers blasted up into the air, exploding midair, sending multi-coloured sparks in all directions. They fell harmlessly to the ground.

Jaz spun around, coming face-to-face with a six-foot tall rabbit. He narrowed his green eyes at her. She swallowed nervously.

Her heart was pounding loudly in her chest. This wasn't how she wanted to encounter the Easter Bunny for the first time. She shut her eyes tightly, preparing herself for some sort of beating from him. To her surprise, and relief, it never came. When she opened her eyes, she saw that he was watching the colourful fire drift down from the sky. A single ember floated in front of his eyes and nose, letting off a tiny explosion. A smile grew across his face.

"It was an accident!" Jaz blurted out suddenly. Bunny turned to look at her, his ears twitching in confusion. He made his way over to her, making her shield her eyes with her forearm.

"You think I'm going to hurt you" Bunny observed her actions. Jaz tentatively lowered her arm to look at him.

"I'm not" he assured her. Jaz stared blankly ahead of her, thinking.

"B-But, I set fire to your Warren" she reminded him. Her words were soft, as though she were treading on thin ice as she spoke. "Weeks before Easter."

Bunny chuckled lightly. He gestured to the sky.

"You didn't cause any harm; and it was an accident, I presume?" Jaz nodded vigorously.

Bunny continued, "Besides, the sparks kind of lighten up the atmosphere." Jaz stared at him awkwardly, unsure of what just happened. She remembered the cinder that landed on his nose.

_Could that have affected him?_ She wondered.

"You never answered my question" Bunny's voice seized her mind away from her thoughts. "What are you doing here, Jaz?" Jaz opened her mouth to answer, pausing when she realized he said her name.

"Wait, you know my name?" she questioned.

Bunny looked at her as though she were naïve. "Of course I do. Everyone knows you, Sparky." Jaz didn't know how to react; to the information he was telling her or the nickname he had given her.

Bunny didn't give her time to respond. He walked over to where the snow globe she had used lay on the ground. He picked it up, placing it in her palm.

"I guess I should probably be getting back, huh?" Bunny smiled, giving her a short nod. He took hold of a newly painted egg, giving it to her as well.

"Here, something for you." He used his paw to close her hand around it. "It'll give you hope" he whispered to her.

Jaz smiled in appreciation, although she wasn't entirely sure what he meant by 'give her hope'. She smashed the globe on the ground, opening up the portal once more. As she turned to leave, Bunny grabbed her attention a final time.

"Come back and visit" he told her. His gaze fell on the portal. "But next time, don't steal just to get here."

* * *

Over the years, Bunny and Jaz had grown close. Being the first person to have ever seen her, Jaz respected Bunny, and trusted him with most things. Bunny had formed a soft spot for the young spirit. There was something about her that allowed him to see situations in a different light. He developed a strange optimism whenever she was around. He would undeniably defend her, as she would with him. The friendship they had bonded was strong.

A thought suddenly struck Bunny. Did Jaz even know why she was here? He couldn't recall anyone having told her.

"I think it's time you find out why you were brought here." He tried to say the words in a way that made him sound as if he had a reason for not telling her earlier. Jaz didn't seem to buy it.

"Bout time" she mumbled. "I was beginning to think you'd never remember." Bunny's head sunk as embarrassment swept over him.

"Yeah, well…" He cleared his throat. "The reason you were brought here is because you were chosen." Jaz's eyes filled with bewilderment towards his words.

"Chosen? W-What do you mean chosen?" There was a slight break in her voice. Bunny folded his ears back with a sigh.

"By the Man in the Moon. He chose you to be a guardian."

Jaz was frozen. Her eyes were wider than Bunny had ever seen them, her mouth left ajar. Not a word was spoken between them. The once soft crackling of the fireplace started to sound like a deep rumble.

The two of them were completely unaware that Jack was now watching them.

Jaz's head began to move from side to side, as she continued to stare blankly ahead of her. The movement grew fast, until they became a rapid shaking.

"No" she murmured. "There has to be some mistake. Cupid, or Hallows, even April Fool is a better choice…"

"No mistake" Bunny told her gently. "He chose you."

Jaz turned on him. "I'm not a guardian!" Her voice was full of desperation. "Why would the Man in the Moon choose me? I'm not like you. I'm…I'm…" She couldn't finish her sentence. Her hand had made its way down to the empty vessel on her belt. Water pricked the corners of her eyes, but she shook them away instantaneously.

"I'm not a guardian" she repeated, looking Bunny in the eye. Her voice was steady, but the expression of fear and uncertainty remained on her face. "And I never will be."

Jack, from where he was watching further away, suddenly felt hesitant. If Jaz chose not to be a guardian, what did that mean for the rest of them? Could she really just say no to Man in Moon's decision? Should he still talk to her? After all, if she wouldn't listen to Bunny, her friend and ally, what chance did he have of succeeding? One thing was for sure though, North would not be happy to find out he didn't at least try. With a pang of regret, he stepped out of the shadows, only to find that she was gone.

* * *

**Just a few warnings for Frost and Flame, mainly in later chapters. **

**So to be clear, I am following the basic plot line of the actual movie with this story. I'll do my best to not repeat much, but don't be surprised or critical if you recognize some scenes. **

**Also, I forgot to mention earlier, there's a reason I rated this T. There will be plenty of dark themes and violence to come. Between them, I'll be sure to keep some light-hearted humour and/or scenes that will just make you smile in general. **

**Keep reading and reviewing! I'll be sure to update soon.**


	5. Moonlight

**I've been working hard on this story, but it doesn't seem to be getting me anywhere on this website. A few more reviews would be great. I really need to get some feedback on this. Enjoy reading. **

* * *

"Where's Jaz?" Jack asked, running over. Startled, Bunny turned to look at him.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here?" he demanded. Jack ignored his arrogance, as always.

"Look, are you going to answer me or not?" When Bunny didn't respond, Jack huffed.

"Fine. I'll find her myself." Leaving the rabbit, he flew off in search for her.

He soared around the workshop, keeping his eyes peeled for the girl. His mind was distant with the multiple thoughts rushing through his head; he almost flew into a wall. He caught himself just before collision, flying out of the way just in time. Dodging one obstacle, he ran into another. It was Phil. He grumbled words in yetish to him, something about watching where he was going. Jack didn't really pay much attention to what it was he said, until he mentioned Jaz.

"What?" Jack asked, urging Phil to repeat it. He had learnt a bit of yetish, so translating it wouldn't be too difficult.

"So Jaz's dagger is repaired." Phil nodded, mumbling something else.

"Wait a minute, you gave it to her? When?" Phil pointed to the other side of the workshop, indicated where she had gone minutes ago after reclaiming her dagger. Jack raced off, following Phil's directions.

He spotted Sandy a few metres away.

"Sandy" he called out to him. The golden man lifted his head at the sound of his name. Jack landed next to him.

"Have you seen Jaz?" Sandy shook his head. Jack swung his staff to the side in a gesture of frustration. A question mark formed above Sandy's head. Jack turned back to him, calming himself.

"North wants me to talk to her" he explained. "But she's gone." Sandy looked up at the opened roof where the moonlight was pouring in. Jack followed his gaze.

"You think she's out there? Wouldn't she stay inside where it's warm?" Sandy had a thoughtful look on his face.

"No harm in looking, I suppose." Thanking Sandy for his assistance, he flew off once again, out into the cold.

Outside, he felt comforted by the exposure of the cold. Everything around him seemed to be white. He narrowed his eyes as he peered into his surroundings. Nothing but ice. He couldn't see her, and if she was out here, she wouldn't last long in this cold. She would burn out in no time.

Just as Jack turned to go back inside, he spotted a faint light at the top of the workshop. Wasting no time, he soared up to the light source. There she was. She stood, hugging her arms, trying to keep warm. Her dagger was in one of her hands. She was facing the moon but her head was down. As Jack started to approach her, she heard her murmur something. Jack kept quiet, listening to her.

"Why?" she whispered. She slowly lifted her head to look at the moon. "Why me? I'm not a guardian. I don't protect children; I can't even control myself." Her voice filled with harshness, a sort of hatred towards herself. She gazed down at her dagger, running two of her fingers over the blade.

Her tone grew soft again. "Why am I here? Please. Just tell me why. You owe me that much." The emotion caused her voice to quiver. The moon remained silent, and Jack felt something in his own heart break. He knew exactly how that felt.

Jaz turned away from the moon. Not wanting her to catch him eavesdropping on her, Jack hid. Jaz remained unaware that of his company. She touched her finger to the gemstone.

Even though he could no longer see her, Jack remained able to hear her conversation. He raised his eyebrow in confusion when he heard her talking to someone else.

"I was so worried about you" He heard her say. Her voice was gentle, and unlike anything he'd ever heard from her. _Wow, she doesn't sound at all like Jaz_ Jack thought.

"I had no idea what would happen to you when that icy fool froze my dagger." Jack smirked. _There we go._

His curiosity of who she was talking to go the better of him. He moved out of his hiding place and over to her. She was alone. She spun around, glaring at him the way she always did.

"You were spying on me." Jack looked around, trying to find the second person in her previous conversation.

"North wanted me to speak to you about making a truce" he explained hastily, still looking. Jaz noticed what he was doing.

"You want to know who I was speaking to" she said, placing a hand on her hip. Her eyes suddenly filled with cheek. "Why didn't you say so?"

A flash of golden streaked past him, bowling him over. He landed painfully on the ground, whatever had knocked him over, now pinning him down. Fierce amber eyes glared down at him. They mirrored Jaz's exactly. Jaws dripping with saliva were held close to his throat, razor-like fangs being revealed as the creature's lip drew back in a snarl. The beast had a pelt like fire, with black streaks tearing away at it. With paws larger than he had ever seen planted upon his outstretched arms, the beast dug its claws into the snow beneath him. The tiger pinning him easily doubled his size.

Jaz walked up to him, stroking the feline's pelt as she did.

"Cute isn't he" she commented. Jack struggled. Jaz knelt down beside him.

"You really shouldn't have been spying on me. See, Blaze here can be very protective of me. He won't suppress an attack if he thinks I'm being threatened. Oh and," Jaz whispered close to his ear, "He has a bad habit of setting himself on fire. Just so you know." She stood up and started walking away.

"Wait!" Jack called out to her. She stopped, looking back at him with a sly smile.

"Call him off." Jaz gave him a questioning look.

"And why would I do that?"

"Because I know what you're like. You don't want to hurt anyone, not intentionally." Jaz thought about what he had said. Much to her annoyance he was right. She touched the stone of her dagger. Instantly, Blaze transformed into a stream of fire that flowed into the blade. Jack leapt to his feet, grabbing his staff that had been knocked from his grip.

"Thank you." He noticed Jaz looking quite weak. No doubt it was resulted from the long period of time she had been out in the open weather.

"You should get back inside" he suggested to her. Jaz gave him a brisk nod, before riding the wind back inside the workshop.

Once they were back, Jack made sure she kept warm. He eyed her dagger.

"Listen," he began, rubbing the back of his head. Jaz turned to look at him.

"I-"

"Don't" she cut him off.

"What?"

Jaz stared at the ground, fiddling with her dagger in her hands.

"I'm the one who should apologize. I should have at least tried to control my anger. I know it wasn't your fault. You didn't know what would happen."

"Yeah, but it was still rash of me to have touched it in the first place. I mean, you're fire, I'm ice. I should have seen it coming." Jaz chuckled lightly at his comment. For the first time, they were in each other's company, and smiling genuinely.

Jaz's eyes were drawn to Jack's injured hand.

"Here" she said, reaching out to take his hand. He flinched, but didn't pull away. Jaz hovered her other hand over the top of his burn, closing her eyes. Jack watched in amazement as the frost melted away and the wound started to close over. The scar left by it was very pale, barely visible on his likewise skin tone. Jack examined his hand once she was done. The scar started to fade, eventually disappearing completely.

"Wow" he breathed.

She shrugged. "I can do it with any fire related injury" she explained to him.

"It's incredible" Jack complimented her, still amazed.

"So, what was this about North wanting us to call a truce?" Jaz asked, changing the subject. Her question snapped Jack out of his thoughts, and reminded him about what it was he was there for.

"Oh, right" he stammered. He gazed into her eyes. "What do you say? Call it even?" He extended his hand.

Jaz examined him for a moment, before replying, "Alright. A truce between the elements; for now." They shook hands, pulling back almost instantly at the sudden and uncomfortable shock of temperatures.

"Ow!" they cried out in sync. They held their hands tightly, facing away from each other.

"There's gotta be an easier way to do that!" Jack exclaimed, still clutching his hand.

* * *

**So now that Jack and Jaz have called a truce, you'll start to see some connections sparking between them. But as I promised in chapter 2, there won't be any signs of actual romance until chapter 7. Even then, they'll be small. **

**I had had the idea of giving Jaz a companion/minion, but wasn't sure how to do that. Then I thought, ok what animal do I think best represents fire? That would be a tiger. And voila! One perfect minion for the spirit of fire. **

**Right now I'm just setting the scene. I promise the next few chapters will have more action.**


	6. A Enemy Risen

**I just wanted to say thanks for all the support I recieved from the last chapter. It really influenced me to keep writing. I've shown this story to a lot of my friends and other people I know who really enjoyed the movie, and they've loved it so far. So yeah. **

* * *

Jack decided to stay with Jaz for a while after they had made their peace. To Jack, it was still hard to believe that the spirit of fire was now on his side.

"What about the tiger?" Jack interrogated.

"His name is Blaze" Jaz corrected him. "And what about him?"

"Care to explain?" She rolled her eyes at him, but her smile indicated that it was in a playful manner.

"I guess I decided somewhere along the road that 300 years of solitude wasn't my thing. I soon discovered that my dagger could not only create fire, but bring it to life. I made Blaze to be my companion, and to aid me in my duties. Now whenever I get lonely, I can call him using this crystal." She held up her dagger, showing him the deep red gemstone embedded in the metal.

A question stirred in Jack's mind. "Would he still tear my throat out now that we've formed a truce?" Even though he was making a joke, he looked hopeful. Jaz spun her dagger, gripping the handle.

"Let's find out."

She stroked the stone, bringing Blaze to life. The tiger rubbed its large head up against Jaz's side in an affectionate way. Jaz, in return, scratched his cheek with her hand. Jack smiled at the sight of it. Jaz glanced up at him. Blaze twisted his head to see what she was looking at. As soon as he caught sight of Jack, he crouched down and snarled at him. His claws unsheathed. Jack backed away, but the tiger leapt at him again. His tail flicked, knocking his staff to the side as it had been done the first time. It looked as though Blaze were attacking him. Jaz ran forward to interfere, but stopped when she realized what he was actually doing.

The large feline was covering Jack's face in licks, drawing his rough tongue over his skin. Jack struggled beneath the cat's weight, trying to free himself from the wet situation he was in. Jaz couldn't help but laugh.

"Enough! Get off me!" Jack choked out, trying not to laugh himself.

"At least he likes you" Jaz sniggered. Jack scowled.

Before Jaz could drag the tiger off his body, Blaze's ears pricked and he looked up in alarm. A deep growl rose in his throat. Jack didn't let his chance to get up slip passed. The tiger's eyes were fixed on an unseen enemy.

"What's wrong with him?" Jack asked, wiping his face dry. Jaz shook her head.

"I have no idea. I've never seen him act like this." The two of them didn't have much time to figure it out, before Blaze ran off.

"Blaze!" Jaz yelled after him. They ran after him, following him down to the Globe. When they reached it, Jaz stroked Blaze's pelt, trying to calm him. It didn't seem to work. It wasn't long before the others arrived.

"What's going on?" Tooth asked.

No one had the chance to respond before the entire workshop started to shake. A torrent of black sand gushed through the windows and walls. It raged by, engulfing anything in its path. Blaze ran forward, regardless of Jaz's attempt to stop him. He shot straight towards the sand. His mouth was wide open, with his claws extended as it tried to attack the sand.

"No!" Jaz screamed. Fast as lightning, she grabbed her dagger and touched the stone. The tiger's body turned to flames and returned to the blade's surface before the sand reached him.

North swung his swords at the sand, slicing through it. Bunny threw one of his boomerangs, but it was swept away within the dark winds. Jack held his staff defensively, doing what he could to stop the sand enclosing in on them further. Sandy was using his dreamsand whips against the nightmare sand, but it seemed to be ineffective.

"Shield your eyes!" Bunny warned, throwing himself in front of Jaz. Tooth, who had been trying to cut through the sand with her wings, flew over behind them.

"There's too much of it" she shouted through the chaos.

Pretty soon, the guardians were all back to back, surrounded by the darkness. An evil laugh echoed through the walls, and the sand vanished.

"Did you really think you had seen the last of me?" the malevolence voice asked. A single fearling rose from the shadows. It charged towards Jack. He ducked, but the nightmare jumped over him and ran after Baby Tooth. Its jaws snapped at the small fairy as she desperately tried to escape from its clutches. Tooth watched in horror as she was swallowed by the nightmare, trapped inside the black sand that formed its ribcage.

"Pitch!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. "Let her go right now!" Pitch's laughter echoed once more.

"Heed this as a warning, guardians" his voice hissed. "You can't protect them forever." The nightmare shrieked as it lost its form and became lifeless. Baby Tooth fell. Jack dove forward, catching her limp body. He opened his cupped hands. Tooth flew down to his side immediately. She carefully transferred her from his hands to her.

"Is she alright?" Jack asked quietly. Tooth gently prodded her, but she didn't wake.

"I…I don't know" Tooth stammered, feeling grief overwhelm her.

"What did he mean by you can't protect them forever?" Jaz questioned. "Was he talking about the fairies or the children?" North shook his head solemnly. Bunny hopped forward.

"Pitch is out for revenge," he explained to Jaz. "Could be either." Sandy formed the shape of a tooth above his head.

"The Tooth Palace" North spoke up. "We must hurry."

Bunny knew what that meant. "Oh no mate, not this time. I'll take my tunnels." North rolled his eyes at his fear. Bunny tapped his foot twice on the ground, opening a tunnel.

"See you there" he said, jumping down into the hole. The moment he was down, the hole sealed itself over.

North strode past, calling out, "To the sleigh!" Jack came up behind Jaz.

"You're in for the ride of a life time" he informed. Part of her wondered what he meant by that. It was just a sleigh, right?

* * *

Jaz stood, her jaw dropped, in front of the modified sleigh. It wasn't at all what she had in mind.

"Hurry, everyone in" North instructed, taking his place at the reins. Tooth, still holding the unconscious Baby Tooth, quickly took her seat in the back. Sandy glided up next to her, closely followed by Jack.

"What?" North said, looking at Jaz. "You waiting for invitation? Get it" Jaz shook her head clear, climbing in.

"Is it safe?" she asked Jack.

He laughed. "You ride the wind. You're not seriously worried about a little sleigh ride are you?" Jaz swallowed. There was no way she'd let him think she was scared.

"I was just wondering why Bunny didn't want to come" She saved whatever dignity she could with a quick cover up.

"Now he _was_ scared" he enlightened her.

Jaz was knocked back in her seat as the North abruptly cracked the reins and charged off. She gazed up at Sandy, who gave her a reassuring look.

She shut her eyes for most of the ride, not even caring if Jack or the others saw. She heard the familiar sound of a portal, and prepared herself for the slight gut-wrenching sensation that followed.

* * *

Jaz only opened her eyes once she was certain they had stopped. The first thing she saw was Bunny, gazing down at her with a paw extended. She sighed in relief at his presence. He helped her out of the sleigh.

"First time nerves?" he guessed. Blushing in embarrassment, Jaz nodded sheepishly. The look in his eyes was pure empathy.

Jaz's eyes followed Tooth as she flew to the top of one of the brightly coloured tooth structures. Thousands of mini fairies were hovering in the air, all huddled together, as if something were wrong.

"Tooth" North called out. "What is it?" Tooth looked very alarmed.

"The nightmares. My fairies know the nightmares are coming." Sandy exchanged a glance with North.

"What do we do?" Jack voice reflected as much concern as any of the others. An idea started to develop in North's mind.

"What if we were to move you and your fairies to safer location? Just until we sort out things with Pitch." Tooth was still unsure.

"But the teeth-"

"We take them too" North suggested.

"Won't the fairies still be attacked when they're collecting new teeth though?" Jaz pointed out.

"Easy. We collect teeth, sort out Pitch, return things to normal. Same as before." The guardians all exchanged a glance. It might just work. By keeping a step ahead of Pitch, they would continue to have the upper hand. But there seemed to still be one problem.

"Where would my fairies stay?" Tooth enquired.

"They can stay at the Pole until this mess is dealt with" North offered.

"How would we get them there?"

Bunny stood up straight. "My tunnels would be the fastest way." Tooth sighed in agreement.

"Ok. As long as they're safe." She gazed down at Baby Tooth, whose breathing was very shallow.

"I don't want anyone else getting hurt."

"Alright sheilas" Bunny gathered the tooth fairies. "Time to get you all to a safe place. Take the tooth boxes, and let's go." The fairies started to collect the memory boxes, lining them up.

Jaz made her way over to Tooth, who was watching them all cautiously.

"They'll be fine" she assured, placing a hand on her shoulder. She was careful not to leave it there too long, in case she accidentally burnt her. Tooth seemed to welcome the warm of her touch however.

"I know" she murmured. "I just don't want anything to happen to them again." Jaz listened respectfully as she told her the story of what happened the first time Pitch attacked.

"They were very brave" she commented once Tooth had finished. Tooth gave her a grateful smile. A thought suddenly entered her mind. She remembered how Jack had never known about his memories, until it was too late. She wasn't about to make the same mistake with Jaz.

"Hold on." Jaz gave her an uncertain glance.

"Huh?"

Tooth dashed off, returning a minute or two later with one of the tooth boxes. She handed them to Jaz.

"What's this?" Tooth closed her hand over it.

Jaz studied the box. The picture on the outer edge was of a girl with dark blonde hair and blue eyes.

"I don't understand" she stated.

"They're your memories, from when you were young" Tooth told her with a smile. Jaz's eyes widened suddenly. The hand holding the box started to shake uncontrollably. Tooth stared in bewilderment. Jaz scrambled to her feet, dropping the box. Tooth leant over and picked them back up. She looked back up at Jaz, but she had vanished.

Jack ran over to Tooth's side.

"Let me talk to her" he said, taking the box. Tooth remained silent, unable to shake the surprise of her reaction.

Luckily for him, Jack had seen where Jaz had run off to. He followed her, eventually finding her sitting on the edge of the palace.

"Mind explaining what that was all about?" he asked, holding out the box. Jaz gazed up at him, shifting from where she was.

"Keep them away from me" she muttered in a threatening tone. Jack was confused.

"You're frightened of your own teeth" he said in disbelief, holding back laughing. Jaz looked away, not responding. He glanced down at the box, figuring it out in his head. The smile faded from his face.

"No, not the teeth; the memories." He sat down beside her.

"Why are you afraid of your memories? Don't you want to know about your past life?"

"Of course I do" Jaz replied. Jack shrugged in misunderstanding.

"Then why are you afraid?" The fire spirit blinked slowly, taking a deep breath. Her eyes flickered in the direction of her dagger.

"Because I don't want to know what I did to deserve becoming _this_." There it was again. The hatred that Jaz felt towards herself, spoken in words. Jack was beginning to understand now.

"You think you're being punished by the Man in the Moon. You believe that being Jaz Flame is the consequence of something you did in your past life."

"Why else would I be here? Unseen, alone…" She paused. "Dangerous. North is always talking about finding your centre, no? Well mine is destruction." Jack didn't know what to say in response. He wanted to tell her that she was wrong, and that wasn't her centre, but every time he went to say it aloud, his mind was drawn back to memories of the unintended destruction she's caused. He knew that even if he did manage to say it, she wouldn't believe it. Even so, he had to say something.

"Destruction is not all you're made up of." Jaz casted him a small glower. Jack winced a second later when he realized what he had actually said. _That sounded a lot better in my head_ he thought.

"What I meant was, a large part of becoming a guardian is finding yourself. You'll see that for yourself soon." Jaz wasn't at all convinced. He placed the box on her lap.

"Just look at them." Jaz threw them back at him with a fair amount of force.

"You look at them then, if you're that curious!" Jack moved away, giving her some space. He hid the tooth box in the pocket of his jacket, keeping it from sight. It took a few moments, but she eventually calmed down.

"Everything will be fine once we start collecting the teeth" he remarked, changing the topic of their conversation.

"What makes you think I'm even going with you guys?" she questioned him. Jack was taken aback. He had thought he and Bunny had talked some sense into her back at the Pole. Obviously her attitudes towards becoming a guardian had once again changed.

"We need your help; the kids need your help"

"Children don't even see me. No one does, remember? I'm not believed in." Her retort was hard on both her and Jack.

"Do it for the tooth fairies then." Surely Jaz wouldn't allow them to suffer.

"Bunny's taking them back to the Pole. They don't need me either."

"For me then" he pleaded. Jack was running out of ideas. Jaz looked startled by his last request. "And for Bunny" Jack quickly added. "He's your friend. You wouldn't let him down; would you?" Jaz stayed quiet, but nodded slowly after a moment's thought.

"Fine. I'll help."

* * *

**Blaze is just a big kitty :) Oh, I mentioned that he aids Jaz in her duties. That will be made clear towards the end of the story, so just bear with me. **

**A touch of romance (if you can even call it that) will be in the next chapter. There will also be another tooth collection scene, so that will include some humour. Hopefully I will get it up before next week, but there's no guarentee of that happening. **


	7. The Race is On

**I'm really happy with how this chapter turned out. I tried to make the teeth collection as interesting and funny as possible, without repeating anything that actually happened in the real movie. Sadly, that meant leaving out a lot of North and Tooth. Then again, it was supposed to be centered around Jack, Jaz and a bit of Bunny. Tell me what you think. Oh, and I also included Jaz's backstory, that should hopefully make her character a little more understandable. **

* * *

The two spirits rose to their feets, just as North came over.

"What's the hold up you two? Come, we must go."

Jaz walked past Jack, without a word, following North back to the sleigh. Groaning at her reoccurring mood swings, he went after her. The fairies had all disappeared from the premises, along with the teeth.

Jack took his place in the back. Even Bunny climbed in. All of them were looking determined about the job ahead of them. Jack however, looked forward to another competition. He was interested in knowing whether Jaz would loosen up once the chase began. As the guardian of fun, it was his duty to bring joy to all children. Did that include her? He was about to find out.

The sleigh budged a little, before swiftly charging off into the air and through a portal. A single nightmare watched it vanished. Onyx snorted in satisfaction. A shadow rose up beside her.

"Everything is going accordingly" Pitch grinned evilly. His plan was falling neatly into place. He was perfectly aware of where the fairies were, what the guardians were doing, and the fears of the fire spirit. Pitch played with the black sand that made up the mane of the nightmare.

"Rally the others" he said to it. "Tonight, we have our revenge."

* * *

Jack rode the wind over the houses. His eyes were drawn to Jaz, where she flew a few metres ahead.

"Moscow, Sector five; four premolars, six incisors, one canine" Tooth's voice said excitedly. Even though she got out into the field more often now, she still demonstrated her enthusiasm. She flew ahead of the others, but stopped dead in the air.

"Don't forget the gifts" she reminded them, before flying off at immense speed. Sandy and Jack exchanged a glance; partial concern, partial amusement.

North darted from chimney to chimney, while Sandy calmly entered each target house through the windows.

"Race you" Jack dared.

"You're on" Bunny smirked, turning his head to look at him. On all fours, he raced across the rooftops, leaping down through his tunnels. Not giving a second thought, Jack shot after him. He jumped in through an opened window, collecting a tooth and leaving a coin. One down, about three million to go.

He wanted to stay a step ahead of Bunny, but to do that he'd have to have a few tricks up his sleeve. Whoever said they had to fight fair?

Jack had just collected another tooth, and was about to leave. He knew Bunny was right on his tail. As he was about to leave, an idea formed in his mind. Giving a sly smile, he aimed his staff at the floor, freezing a patch on the ground. He left the house and continued his search. About half a minute later, he heard the sweet sounding result he was waiting for.

"Ah!" Bunny's painful yell echoed.

* * *

Whilst in Asia, Jack smiled in success at the tooth he had just found. His smile faded when he heard the sound of something slicing through the wind. He looked up, but was tripped over as something slammed into his ankles. The tooth was knocked from his hand. He shook his head, pulling himself up. Bunny stood on the ground below, holding the tooth that was once his. His hand was raised in the air. A boomerang, the same one that had tripped him, flew right into his grip. Bunny saluted him, dashing off.

Jaz had been looking on meanwhile. Their pranks were rather pathetic in her mind. The wind carried her to the house with a tooth. She walked over to the bed of the sleeping child. Just as she reached for the pillow, Jack's staff suddenly batted it out of the way. He seized the tooth for himself. Jaz glared at him.

"You'll have to be quicker than that" he advised her, touching his hand to her shoulder in as though a gesture of pity.

"That was my tooth"

Jack sniggered. "Lighten up, would you? Have some fun for once."

He hopped onto the window sill and back outside.

"Fun?" she said to herself, a smile growing. "I'll show him."

* * *

The group had reached Germany now, and were about halfway done. Sandy floated past Jaz, snatching a tooth from her grasp.

"Hey!" she called. Sandy tossed her a quarter, waving farewell to her. Jaz looked at the coin resting in her palm. She couldn't help but smile at his joke.

She saw Tooth rush by, not slowing down even for a second. She wondered how she could fly that fast without getting tired, although the thoughts didn't stay in her head for long.

She spotted another tooth. She leapt between the buildings, entering the window. Something unexpectedly snagged her foot while she was midair. She lost control over the wind and crashed onto the floor. She glanced up at her foot, trapped in a block of ice frozen halfway up the wall. She looked back, her vision distorted due to the fact that she was partly upside-down. Jack walked by, his staff over his shoulder. He took the tooth that should have been hers. Before leaving, he crouched down by her head. The smile on his face was nothing but mischief.

"Having fun yet? Good luck getting out of that one, Pyro" he said to her with a wink. He left her hanging there, much to her discomfort.

"Get back here!" she shouted at him. It was too late, he was gone. She struggled to break her leg free from the ice, but to no avail. She huffed at her failed attempts.

As soon as she was free, Jack became her new target.

Noticing him enter a room, a thought came to her. She smiled slyly.

Jack took the canine from under the pillow, replacing it with a coin. He was doing well in the competition between the others. The wind caught him as he dropped out the window. Into the air he soared, his attitude cocky from his latest find. A hot wind suddenly surrounded him. Without warning, Jaz appeared from nowhere, planting a warm kiss on his cheek. Overwhelmed and flustered, his limbs fell limp. Jaz stole the tooth from his hand, smiling cheekily at him.

"Thanks for the tooth, Frostbite!" she called back at him as she flew off. Jack's mind desperately searched for a clarification of what just happened.

Jaz laughed as she soared freely through the night skies. She couldn't remember the last time she had had this much fun. She had no real care for the teeth she was gathering, but it was a fun objective nonetheless.

Landing, she recognized the area. She was in the town of Burgess. For as long as she could remember, Burgess had always felt like home to her. She had never understood why though. It was cold, and snowed frequently. Her fondness would make sense if it was the location she was reborn, but it wasn't.

* * *

The night Man in Moon had brought her into the world, she had awoken in a burnt forest in Australia. Light poured through the trees, filling a clearing. Her body lay lifeless on the ground. Her skin shone pure white in the moon's atmosphere. Her amber eyes slowly blinked open. She pulled her head up, flicking her untidy black and red hair from her eyes. Her body lifted from the ground. Landing back on her feet, she examined herself, not recognizing anything. Her clothing was strange. She was in a long chestnut coloured dress, with a white blouse underneath. Her feet were bare. Ash covered everything in the area, including her. The air around her was hot, but to her surprise, it did not make her uncomfortable. The heat made her feel strong and powerful.

Light reflected off something, shining brightly into the corner of her eye. Wincing, she made her way over to it. Piercing the base of a tree stump, was a silver weapon. Jaz tipped her head to the side. It was a knife of some sort. It had a red stone embedded on the edge of the handle. Tentatively, she gripped it. She tugged it out of the wood, looking at it in finer detail. Still confused, she swung her arm to the side. Fire shot out of the blade.

Jaz screamed and dropped it. She hid behind some of the forest debris. She glanced at her hands, unscathed. She suddenly became more curious. She stepped back out into the clearing, picking up the dagger again. She touched the end of the blade, expecting to be cut or burnt. To her surprise, she remained unharmed. Her curiosity grew. She pointed the knife towards the area she had been hiding from. Concentrating, she shot fire from it again. This time, she tried summoning it back. The wild flames were tamed by her mind, returning to the blade.

Smiling at her newfound power, she gave a small leap. Wind suddenly blew her up into the air. She screamed again, startled. She stretched her arms out as she tried to keep herself balanced. The wind started to feel more in her control, and gently lowered her back down to the ground. Her eyes were wide with the shock of what just happened.

Jaz walked through the scorched undergrowth, wondering what had happened to cause such devastation. As she was walking, she made it to the edge of the forest. A dim light in the distance was a sign of civilization. She ran, following the light of it.

When she made it to the town, she was ecstatic to see other people. She thought it a little strange that none of them paid any attention to her, but didn't think too much about it.

A group of them were huddled by a burnt out campfire.

"I can't get this fire going" she heard one of the settlers say. A smiled graced her lips.

"I can help with that!" she said excitedly, running over. She pointed her dagger at the wood collected, setting it alight. The settlers rejoiced.

"It's a miracle!" they exclaimed. Jaz was confused.

"N-No" she stammered. "It was me." She stood opposite one of them, waving her hand in front of their face.

"Hello?" The settler passed right through her. Jaz clutched her stomach. She staggered back in shock, tripping over her own feet. Her dagger collided with the ground, shooting several blazes out from it. They flew through the air, setting fire to the one of the houses on the far side of the village. The settlers scream in fear of the sudden inferno. Jaz scrambled to her feet.

"I got it! I got it!" She held the knife out, calling the fire back. It returned, but set fire to every other house it passed. She watched in horror as the chaos unfolded around her. This wasn't what she wanted. She had only been trying to help.

Scared, Jaz turned and retreated back into the forest.

A few nights after the disastrous accident she had caused, Jaz returned to the village. Using the strongest vine she could find from the forest, she made a strap to hold her dagger. She made her way into the settlement. Very few people were out that night. She picked up the sound a child crying. Inquisitive, she ran over to one of the houses where the noise was coming from. She peered inside.

There was a group of people standing together by candlelight. All of them were mourning. The boy that Jaz had heard earlier was being held by his parents.

"I just can't believe it" one of the settlers whispered sadly.

"She was so young" another, an elderly woman, agreed.

"And there was no sign of the body?" a third person asked.

Someone else shook their head. "The fire must have cremated it." Jaz listened to them, feeling sadness overwhelm her. The knowledge that someone had died as a result of a fire made her feel guilt stricken.

"She's gone" the boy cried.

Jaz couldn't take it any longer. Turning, she raced back into the forest. She couldn't go back after that. A girl had perished due to her element. She felt as though it was her fault, even though she had no memory of anyone dying.

* * *

Over 300 years, she had changed a lot. Her heart had lost hope. There was no longer any light or joy being reflected in her eyes, only trauma. She had changed her clothes several times over the course of her existence, stealing whatever fitted her. Eventually she found the jacket and pants that she wore today. They had been torn and burnt over the years she had had them, but she preferred them that way. She had also stolen a proper belt with a decent holder for her dagger. She had gone from a fun loving free-spirited teenager, to an empty short-tempered girl.

She spent most of her time either in Burgess or Sydney, bringing fire and warmth to those who needed it. She never knew her real purpose, and figured she wouldn't ever find the answers she had been searching so desperately for.

She might have woken in Australia, but Burgess remained the place she considered home. It was also the place where she had encountered that intriguing girl, Pippa.

Hastily looking around to make sure none of the others were nearby, she made her way over to the girl's house. She could spare a minute or two from the competition. She had helped bring the fireplace to life; it was only fitting that she should check how Pippa's family were enjoying her contribution. She glided across the ice covered ground, her feet hardly touching the ground.

When she reached the window, she spotted Pippa straight away. She was curled up beside the fireplace, supposedly asleep. Her father walked in, picking her up and taking her out of the room. Leaving her bag of teeth, Jaz floated up to the next level of the house, to the window of Pippa's room. She was unaware that the snow globe she had taken all those years ago had fallen from her possession, landing in the snow beside the teeth.

Pippa's father pushed the door opened and laid her on the bed. He pulled up her cap, kissing her forehead, before leaving her to sleep.

Jaz watched her for a moment longer, smiling without realizing it. Watching the sleeping child made her feel at peace.

"What are you doing here?" Jaz jumped at the sound Bunny's voice. She looked up to the roof, seeing him leaning over and staring at her. She flew up to him, landing on the roof of the house. Her eyes darted around, seeing that the others were there too. Jaz's cheeks tinged red at the realization that she had been caught.

"I was, um…" She couldn't think of an excuse. There were no teeth around here to collect.

"You were watching children?" North guessed. Jaz bit her lip. Bunny moved to her defence.

"Cut her some slack mate" he said. "She's still been collecting the teeth." Tooth looked around, seeing that she wasn't holding any.

"Where are they?" Jaz looked taken aback by her question. For a moment, she had forgotten where they were. Sandy gave her a concerned look. Then it hit her.

"I left them down there." She tipped her head in the direction of the front of the house. The group jumped down. Jaz searched for her bag, but found none.

"Uh oh" she whispered.

"Well? Where are they?" North asked. Jaz started to get nervous.

"I don't know. They were here, I swear. I just put them down for a moment." She continued looking, but they were gone. Sandy formed a spherical shape above his head. Jaz raised a questioning eyebrow, gasping in shock when she grasped the knowledge of what he meant. She patted herself down, freaking out when she couldn't find the snow globe.

"Oh no…No! No! No!" she muttered under her breath. "My snow globe's gone!" she told the others. North stared at her with prying eyes.

"What snow globe?"

"The one I took from a yeti 153 years ago" she mumbled awkwardly. The disbelief on North's face made Jaz feel worse. Sandy floated between them, pointing to the horizon. Several nightmares galloped through the air where he had pointed.

"Pitch" Jack whispered.

"What if Pitch has the teeth?" Bunny voiced the question on everyone's minds. Tooth looked distraught.

"If Pitch has the teeth and a snow globe, then he knows where my fairies are!" She flew up to North's height.

"We have to get back to the Pole!" she exclaimed. The group wasted no time making it back to the sleigh. They all knew that if it was true and Pitch was behind all this, then the fairies were in grave danger. They had to hurry, for it may have already been too late.

* * *

**Another cliffhanger, sorta. Like I said back in chapter 2 I think it was, a touch of romance in this chapter. Just a kiss on the cheek, but it's a foreshadow of what is to come later on. I'll try to update the next chapter sometime this week. Exams just finished for me, so that should clear some time for me to write and post it. Keep reading and reviewing!**


	8. Betrayed?

**Sweet! I actually got it done before the end of the week. That's a miracle right there I tell you. I've been seriously busy with school, and yet I still managed it. **

**A special thanks to ihearthorses6000 for her very supportive review/s. You rock! And I'm so glad you like the story.**

* * *

The sleigh shot through the portal, returning to the Pole. North, tailed closely by the others, threw open the doors, unleashing the chaos that was inside. Nightmares exploded through the workshop, rushing passed the guardians and out to freedom. They were gone before anyone could even draw their weapons.

The place was a wreck. Every toy had been attacked, smashed and destroyed. There was no sign of the yetis or elves. The fairies were all lying limp on the floor. Tooth hurried over, checking them. They were in the same state as Baby Tooth. Water started to fill her eyes. She covered her mouth with her hands to contain her grief.

North was frozen as he looked at his workshop. Christmas was in three nights; but there was nothing left. Jack was at Tooth's side, comforting her. Sandy was doing the same with North. Bunny picked up a toy, noticing something strange about its broken state.

"North," he said, gaining the Russian's attention. "You better have a look at this mate." North came to his side. Bunny handed him the toy. It hung in pieces. Most of the blue paint had been peeled off. There was not a grain of black sand, but what really surprised him, was what was on it. Across the metal were scorch marks. North gasped when he saw it, turning to Jaz. Jaz looked confused as to why he and Bunny were staring at her.

"What?" she questioned. Jack picked up another couple of toys, seeing the same results. Everything in the workshop had been streaked with her mark of fire.

"You did this?" North's voice was shaky, but he stepped up to her. The rest of the guardians crowded around her. Jaz's eyes darted from side to side, trying to avoid their interrogating stares.

"What? No! How could I? I was with you guys the whole time" she said in defence.

"But you weren't. We had to come find you." Tooth reminded her. It was true; she had separated herself from the group when she travelled to Burgess.

She looked to Bunny to support her, but he had his back to her. He was facing Tooth, checking on the fairies.

"Pitch's nightmares have done something to them. They won't wake." She kept her head down, her wings flat against her back. Sandy formed the sphere above his head again. Jaz knew it was a representation of the snow globe she had stolen. She flinched at his accusation.

"I didn't plan this" she pleaded, desperation for their belief showing in her voice. North looked away from her, obviously hurting.

"Christmas is lost" he muttered regretfully. His workers were gone, his home destroyed. There was no wonder in his eyes. Not anymore.

Tooth's eyes didn't meet hers. Sandy stood there, his head shaking slowly and sadly. Bunny couldn't bear to look at her. The disgraced look on his face as he turned away spoke for itself. He was ashamed of her. Jack was the only one whose eyes remained fixed on her. Anger and disgust toward her returned to their blue depths. Jaz turned to run, abandoning them in the remains of Christmas.

Jack let her go. The guardians were his family, and she had deceived them all. The truce that had been made between them had been shattered. North's words had been erased completely from his mind. He would deal with Pitch later. Right now, he had a new enemy; and she was it.

* * *

_Disbelief. Mistrust. Shame. Anger. _

Jaz was unable to shake the memory of their faces from her mind.

She landed in a forest on the outskirts of Sydney Australia. It was the same one she had woken in. She needed to be alone, away from them. They didn't believe her. Rage started to bubble up inside of her. They hadn't even giving her the chance to explain. They just saw the scorches and accused her.

In anger, Jaz drove her dagger into the nearest tree. The wood began to split as the fire burned the tree from the inside out. Light shone from within the cracks, the branches and leaves at the top of the tree setting fire. The eucalyptus oil from the tree sent flames exploding up into the air. She released her grip on the handle, leaving the blade wedged midway in the blistered bark.

"I see fire has returned to solitary."

Jaz clenched her teeth at the sound of his voice. She knew straight away who it was, without a doubt. It was a sound she hated; despised with all her heart. She regained hold of her dagger, pulling it out with a strong amount of force. She aimed it at him. Her chest was heaving with anger. Her finger reached for the gemstone, calling upon Blaze. The fire that made up his body flowed out, forming his strong figure. The tiger drew his lip back at Pitch, snarling ferociously. His paws were engulfed by flames as he stalked forward. The fire burned its way up his pelt, vanishing beneath his broad shoulder blades. His muscles rippled clearly underneath his coat and shimmered in the moonlight.

Pitch stood his ground. His hands held a scythe made from nightmare sand, but merely smirked and it disintegrated in his hands. Jaz didn't lower her weapon, but her uncertainty towards his actions made her feel vulnerable.

"I'm not here to fight you, Jaz" he told her calmly.

"I find that hard to believe" she growled back at him. Pitch grinned, looking at her as though she were a helpless child.

"Why would I fight you? You and I are the same."

"No" she denied. "We're nothing alike." The nightmare king laughed softly.

"Of course we are. Now why don't you put your little pet back where he belongs." Pitch's shadow on the ground moved closer to Blaze. The tiger backed away, closer to Jaz, swiping at the shadow with his paw. His ears were flat against his head. She placed her hand on his back, stroking him gently to ease him. Small whimpers mixed with his growling.

"Leave him alone!" Jaz barked. Pitch's menacing laugh blasted their ears, making Blaze cower. Wanting to protect her friend, Jaz withdrew Blaze back into the safety of her dagger. She turned to face Pitch herself, but he had disappeared into the darkness.

"You were better off before him" His voice echoed all around her. Jaz held her hands to her ears, struggling to block out his words.

"Before the guardians. You saw for yourself, they never truly believed in you. All you did was help them, but the moment something went wrong, they turned on you." Jaz couldn't take it anymore.

"Stop it!" she screamed, her voice laced with fear. Pitch's increasing shadows approached her swiftly.

"Did you really think they'd accept _you_? You'll never be one of them."

"You don't know what I am!" she yelled at him.

"See that's where you're wrong. I know everything about you." She started to feel trapped by the darkness as he circled her.

"Jaz Flame, spirit of fire. Alone and unseen, full of hate and anger. No matter how hard you try to do things right, you always bring destruction." His words carved deeply into her mind. She tried to shake them off, but like a shadow, they trailed her every thought. Every word he spoke was of the truth.

"We're not the same. You don't know what it's like" she muttered angrily.

"Oh really? I don't know what it's like? To be alone, invisible…_dangerous_. Knowing that no one will ever appreciate what I am. You think I like being fear?" Pitch stared deeply into her eyes.

"We can't change who we are, Jaz. No matter how much we may want to. But we don't have to be alone." He could sense her mind beginning to be tempted.

"After all" Pitch said, slithering around her body. He placed his hands on her shoulders, parting her hair to reveal her neck. He whispered close to her ear.

"What is destruction, without fear?" As he spoke the word '_fear'_, he touched his finger to the back of her neck, his sharp nail piercing the skin. Jaz froze, her limbs stiffening as a violent sensation surged through her neck and into the rest of her body. She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out. She couldn't move.

"Don't fight the fear" Pitch laughed as he watched her transform. Her eyes darkened a few shades, the red streaks in her hair turning bright silver. She involuntarily returned her dagger to its receptacle. A smile grew across her face. Pitch moved back, until he was standing opposite her.

"Feel it, embrace the fear. It is a part of you now" he told her. Jaz nodded, keeping her head lowered in respect toward him.

"Come, little flame. Tonight, we finish the guardians."

* * *

**Now I feel like this story is really starting to go somewhere. Just in case anyone picked up on it, yes I did use some lines from the actual movie in this part. Mainly to show the similarity between Jack and Jaz.**

**So much for that romance. For those who like it, don't worry, there will be more to come. For those who don't, most of it will only be light hints. **

**Will update soon. **


	9. Fight Fire with Fire

"Pippa!"

Pippa, still half asleep, lifted her head drowsily at the sound of her name being called. She was startled awake when something crashed into her window.

"Whoa!" she screamed instinctively. She looked over at the glass, now stained with a white patch. She cocked her head to the side, her facial expression complete confusion. She heard her name being called from outside again. She swung her legs over the side of her bed, hurrying to the windowsill. She opened it up, looking down to see Jamie standing in her front yard. The whole ground was covered in a layer of snow.

"Get down here!" he shouted up at her with a smile. Pippa smiled back.

"I'll be right out" she told him. She closed the window and stepped away. She rolled her eyes playfully once she was out of his view. She loved how he was always so enthusiastic. Hastily, she threw off her nightgown and replaced it with her jacket and pants. As usual, she was already wearing her cap. Grabbing her scarf, she ran out of her room, downstairs and out to where Jamie was waiting for her.

"Snowday!" she exclaimed, giving a leap of joy. "Jack's really outdone himself this time." She meant it. The entire ground was white, sparkling beautifully in the sunlight. Jamie smiled at the mention of his friend.

"Yeah, he really has. We'll thank him when he gets here."

Pippa's face dropped. "Gets here? Jamie, he's a guardian remember? He has responsibilities now; he can't just hang out with us all the time." Jamie's grin didn't fade, much to Pippa's surprise.

"True, but he's our friend. I'm certain he'll come." Jamie turned to leave.

Pippa wasn't so sure; though that wasn't the reason she had gotten so disheartened when he mentioned him coming. Truth was, she didn't want him to come. She liked Jack; she really did. But he and Jamie had such a great friendship, it made her jealous seeing them together. She had never had that with anyone. Even though she and the others believed in him too now, because Jamie was his first believer, he was especially close to him. Pippa wanted to have that kind of closeness with someone; but it looked as though she would never receive her wish.

Jamie halted, looking back at her.

"You coming or what?" Pippa nodded sadly, though she was well aware that Jamie wouldn't pick up on it. She slowly trailed after him.

* * *

The guardians clustered together at the Pole, trying to find a way to put things back on track. North frantically tried to craft together toys, but it wasn't much use. Most of his supplies had been damaged, leaving him with hardly anything to work with. He let out an exasperated sigh, holding his head in his hands. Unknowingly to him, Jack stood in the doorway. He had never seen North like this before; he couldn't even begin to think how much loosing Christmas must have hurt him. Jack remained in the doorway, looking out at the rest of the workshop. Sandy was relocating the injured fairies to a safer place in the Pole where they would be tended to. Tooth did her best to help, but with her fairies wounded by the nightmares, she had become very weak. Bunny raced around the place, doing what he could to rebuild the toys. There was still no sign of the yetis or elves.

Jack felt hollow inside of him. Despite all the devastation around him, it was Jaz that made him feel most empty. Even if he truly wanted to believe it, she wasn't his enemy. He just couldn't grasp the idea that she would have done this to them. And there was still something that didn't add up. If it had been Jaz that planned the attack, then why were there nightmares in the workshop when they had first returned? It didn't make sense. He wanted answers, and he was going to get them.

He flew across the workshop to where Sandy and Tooth were.

"I'm going to go look for Jaz" he announced. Sandy raised his hands, shaking them wildly in front of his body. He was trying to warn Jack not to proceed with his plan, but he wouldn't listen. Tooth staggered to her feet.

"Jack, no" she begged. Jack supported her weak form.

"I have to" he said, looking into her eyes. "I need to know why she did it."

"Then I'm going with you." The three of them spun around as Bunny walked over. Jack looked at him, his gaze firm.

"No. North needs you here" he reminded him of the crisis at hand.

"She'll listen to me before she listens to you" Bunny pointed out. "What makes you think she'll tell you anything?" Jack stepped forward to meet him.

"I have my ways." He didn't give anyone else a chance to counter his decision. He flew off at a swift speed, out of the workshop. He had no idea where to even begin searching for her; there were a million places she could be. But he wasn't about to let that stop him. He had made up his mind, and was going to find her no matter what.

* * *

"What do you mean he's gone?" North bellowed. Bunny, Sandy and Tooth stood opposite him. Bunny had his arms folded across his chest.

"I mean," he rephrased. "Jack's gone looking for Jaz." North's lowered head shook from side to side as he tried to take in the knowledge he had been given.

"This is bad" he murmured. "Very bad."

"North, we have to go after him. He could get himself killed out there," Tooth spoke up. Sandy nodded. North was conscious of the boy's actions and what could take place if they were not there. He hated the thought of something happening to him, though in the situation taking place, it was a likely occurrence. He had to make a decision. Christmas was in less than 48 hours, but Jack's life was at risk. There was only one choice.

"She's right. Knowing him, he's likely to do something foolish." Bunny paused for a moment, his eyes closing with pain. "And knowing her, she _will_ do something she'll regret."

"We leave at once" North decided. Sandy formed a present above his head.

"Is too late" he told the golden man forlornly. The others were shocked when he spoke those words. "Right now, Jack needs us."

* * *

Jack shot through the air like a bullet. His staff firmly in his grip, he made his way to Australia. Night had just fallen. This was where he assumed Jaz would be. It was her home, where Man in Moon had brought her to life. It was also a special place to her as she shared her home country with Bunny.

He landed on the street of an abandoned town. Here was as good to start looking as anyplace. Jack made sure to not only look for Jaz, but to feel her presence too. Warm winds, fires; any sign that would indicate her being there.

"Frost" a voice sounded behind him. Jack's head shot up when he heard it. He spun around, aiming his staff at Pitch.

"Not happy to see me?" he taunted.

"Where's Jaz?" Jack demanded. Pitch smiled.

"What makes you think I know where she is?" he asked. Jack kept his staff fixed on him. He knew that Pitch was hiding something.

"The nightmares in North's workshop." Jack was careful to prepare his mind for whatever trickery Pitch had in store for him.

Jaz stepped out from the shadows behind him.

"Jack." She made her presence known. Jack twisted around, lowering his staff when he saw her. A smile grew across his face. The same could no be said for Jaz. She walked past him, over to Pitch's side. His grin immediately vanished. Pitch's hand grazed up and down along her spine, stroking her back. The sight of it made Jack's stomach turn over.

"Let her go" he threatened Pitch. The nightmare king laughed at his accusation.

"I'm not holding her prisoner, if that's what you're implying. Jaz is free to do as she wishes." Jaz nodded her agreement, much to Jack's discomfort.

"Y-You're…You're with Pitch?" Jack stuttered. Jaz's eyes narrowed.

"Don't act so surprised" she snapped, pacing towards him. "It's not like you ever trusted me. That 'truce' of yours, was nothing more than a wretched lie!" She continued to advance on him.

"Something goes wrong," she sneered. "Blame the fire spirit. Blame _Pyro_!" Jack winced as she repeated the name he had called her.

"If I'm going to be accused of causing destruction, I may as well actually cause it." She drew her dagger.

"Now it's your turn. To feel stabbed in the back, alone and helpless."

She launched herself at him, dagger raised into the air. Jack jumped back just in time to dodge her. She spun to face him, her eyes full of fury.

Using the wind, Jack flew up onto the roofs of one of the abandoned houses. His eyes darted wildly, awaiting her next attack. She followed him up, sending a wave of vicious flames around the top of the building. Jack was trapped in a ring of fire. Jaz called Blaze from her blade. The feline snarled at him, his unsheathed claws scrapping against the rusted tiles that lined roof. There was no trace of the bond he had formed with him mere days ago. He saw Jack as an enemy; or worse, a meal.

Jaz stood behind the tiger, her eyes full of the same bloodlust that filled Blaze's.

"There's no escape, Jack." Jack's heart was racing.

As the flames grew ever closer to him, a familiar sound filled the air, making him smile in relief. He gazed up, seeing North's sleigh shoot through the sky. Jaz followed his gaze, gritting her teeth in anger. Resummoning Blaze, she leapt down off the building to where Pitch was awaiting her. As soon as she was gone, the fire around him weakened. He flew off the building and onto the side of the sleigh.

"Did you find her?" Bunny asked. He was agitated, more than usual. Jack nodded. He opened his mouth to explain, but was cut off by Tooth.

"Pitch!" she exclaimed, spotting him on the ground. Jaz was no longer with him.

In anger, Tooth pulled at the reins North held, bringing the sleigh down for a rough landing. The guardians stepped out of the sleigh, heading towards Pitch. A dreamsand whip formed in Sandy's hands. He swung it straight at him. Pitch didn't move. He didn't have to. In a single movement, Jaz, out of nowhere, flung herself in front of him, grabbed the whip in her free hand and slashed it in half with her dagger. The stream snapped, sending flaming grains of dreamsand flying. Sandy was knocked backwards by the impact. The guardians stood unmoving, their mouths wide-open in disbelief. Jaz had just saved Pitch. She turned to face them, her expression fierce and full of vengeance.

It was only then Jack noticed there was something different about her. The streaks in her hair were no longer red, but silver. He hadn't realized it before, due to the smoke from the fire or the shadows she had been standing in. But now, he had a clear view of it. It was then he knew he had been right. Pitch had definitely done something to her.

Right now however, they were weak and close to defeat. With Jaz on his side, the guardians didn't stand a chance against Pitch. If they were to keep fighting, they would not win. Jack turned to Bunny.

"I have an idea" he told him. He whispered his plan to everyone. At first, Bunny wasn't convinced.

"It's the only way to save her." Bunny nodded, pulling out his boomerang. Everyone else prepared themselves for what needed to be done.

"Get ready" Jack whispered. "Now!"

Bunny threw his boomerang at them. The two ducked, their attention being drawn away from the guardians for a moment. They made a run for it, back to the sleigh. Jaz ran after them. With regret, Bunny tossed several egg bombs. Colourful smoke surrounded her. She coughed as it filled her lungs. The smoke eventually cleared, but they were gone.

Jaz kicked at the ground in anger. They had slipped from her grasp. Pitch would not be pleased. Slowly, she made her way back to the shadows, where he would be waiting for her.

"I failed" she muttered, her head low. Pitch scowled at her news, making her shun away.

"They won't be so lucky next time." As Pitch vanished into the shadows, his words were left echoing in the silence of the abandoned town.

* * *

**Not much to say, other than it will be a few tense chapters from here on out. Keep reading to find out. **

**Hey here's a question. Why is it do you think Pippa always wears that cap? I have the idea that it was made for her by a loved one that passed away, but I want to hear your concepts. **


	10. A Way to Help

**I'm aware I could have been a little more "creative" with how I got Christmas back on track, but I was tired this week and not really bothered to extend it. This chapter is just to add a little more context anyway. But nonetheless important to the storyline. So keep reading. **

**I've pre-written a couple of chapters ahead too, so when I run low on time to write I can just post it straight up. **

* * *

"There has to be some way to save Christmas" Tooth's voice had only a glimpse of hope left within it. The guardians paced through the damaged workshop. Jack dashed ahead to walk by North's side. They all knew that if Christmas stood any chance of redemption, North would need all the help they could get.

"Where would Pitch have taken the yetis?" he asked. Before North could respond, a loud crash sounded from the other side of the Pole. Exchanging a glance, they ran over to the source of the sound. The five of them skidded to a halt. They could hardly believe their eyes. In front of them, entering through numerous portals, were the yetis and elves. The yetis had patches of their fur missing, and most of the elves had brusied eyes or faces. But other than that, they all seemed unharmed. The sight of their return made North smile a smile larger than ever before. He ran forward, shouting with glee. The elves jumped up and down, their bells jingling. The yetis exclaimed something in their language.

"What did they say?" Tooth murmured to the others. Jack listened, doing his best to translate. He didn't have to. North turned back to his fellow guardians.

"Pitch had been keeping them in his lair. They finally managed to escape" North explained to the rest of them. His smile somehow became bigger.

"Christmas is saved!"

* * *

"Quick!" North barked instructions to the yetis, elves and other guardians. "We must work quickly." More materials had been located. Jack used his staff to create lively ice toys in which the yetis hastily made copies of. Sandy helped the yetis with the repair work of toys that could be salvaged. Bunny had been tunnel-jumping between the Pole and his Warren, bringing colourful water from his river to paint the toys with. Tooth meanwhile, had been directing a handful of the elves who had volunteered to help her with her fairies. Things were looking up, but it was still a race against time.

Bunny appeared from one of his tunnels. He had been gone for a much lengthier amount of time than the others had expected.

"What took you so long?" North questioned. Bunny hopped out of the hole.

"I brought some help" He spoke, as he reached down into the tunnel and pulled out several children. The guardians recognized them at once. Monty, Cupcake, and the twins, Claude and Caleb. Bunny lifted the last child out; his favourite ankle-biter, Sophie. The excited children ran through the workshop. Whether they effectively built the toys or not, just having them there made everything seem a little better off. Tooth flew over to Bunny.

"What a great surprise" she said to him, smiling brightly. Bunny shrugged, his eye on Sophie.

"Figured we could use the help." Jack had joined them. Bunny noticed him looking around at the children. He was happy to see them, but not completely content.

"I looked for Jamie" he clarified with the winter spirit. Jack stared at him. "The others told me they hadn't seen him or Pippa." Jack's head lowered as a soft sigh left his lips. His eyes grew large in sudden realization. He had forgotten all about his plans with Jamie. He gazed around at the workshop. He couldn't leave now, North still needed his help. Jamie would understand, right?

* * *

Pippa sat on Jamie's Christmas decorated fence, her head resting on her hands in a gesture of her boredom. Jamie waited below, keeping a look out for his friend.

"He'll be here soon" he assured, not giving up hope. Pippa let out another sigh, lifting her head off her palms.

"That's what you said an hour ago" she retorted. Jamie ignored her comment, keeping his back to her. Rolling her eyes, Pippa jumped down off the fence.

"I'm done" she declared. Jamie turned back around as she started to walk off.

"Where are you going?" he called after her. Pippa looked over her shoulder at him, an annoyed expression on her face.

"Home" she responded bitterly. "I'm not waiting around for someone who's not coming, with someone who wouldn't notice if I was even here." Her words stung Jamie hard. She was his best friend, aside from Jack. They had known each other pretty much all their lives. Seeing her walk away from him like this made him feel confused and hurt, and more alone than ever before.

* * *

It was a long and stressful process, but together, they had managed. Christmas had been revived from the ashes of defeat and was ready to spread its wonder to the world. Jack was determined to be there this time. He had let the guardians down once before; never again. There was a high chance that the nightmares would attack, but they would be ready for them.

Though Christmas was back on schedule, there was still unease in Jack's mind. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake the thoughts of what Pitch had done to Jaz. His mind searched for a way to help her. His eyes were drawn to Bunny, who held a sleeping Sophie in his arms. He made his way over to him.

"Cute little ankle-biter, aint she?" he commented as he came over. Jack smiled in agreement. Bunny turned his gaze to Jack. Seriousness grew in his eyes.

"Something's on your mind." His observation was accurate, though Jack wasn't entirely sure how to bring up his concerns about Jaz.

"When we were fighting Pitch," he began. "I noticed something different about Jaz." Bunny gave him a stern look.

"I'm aware of that, mate. She was helping Pitch, in case you hadn't realized." Jack shook his head.

"That's not what I meant. There was something odd about her appearance. Her streaks, they were silver not red." He paused, remembering the desire for his suffering being reflected so clearly in her eyes.

"You know her, Bunny. She wouldn't just give herself to Pitch like that. He's done something to her. I know it." Bunny didn't respond straight away. There was a lot of pain in the green depths of his eyes. His head slowly but steadily nodded.

"Pitch will pay for whatever it is he's done to her" he hissed. Jack barely heard him. He leant in closer.

"We have to find a way to help her first" he reminded him. He added, more to himself than to Bunny, "There has to be someway to clear her mind." His own mind searched for an idea, recalling back to what she had said before she attacked him.

_"If I'm going to be accused of causing destruction, I may as well actually cause it."_

Jack knew those words were that of Pitch. He had managed to twist her mind to his liking, tricking her into thinking that was all she was.

_"Something goes wrong," _she had sneered._ "Blame the fire spirit. Blame Pyro!" _

That was it. Jaz felt betrayed by the guardians, accusing her for what had happened. They should have known better. The nightmares were not under her control, they were under Pitch's. They had all been so caught up in the mess of the situation; they had forgotten who they could trust.

_"Now it's your turn. To feel stabbed in the back, alone and helpless." _

They had done this to her. They had practically handed her right over to Pitch. She was vulnerable to his mind manipulation the same way he had been. Jack had been strong enough to resist, but the rage she had been feeling at the time blinded her judgement. She was his puppet, nothing more than a fearling. He could control her as he wished. The revenge she felt was but a reflection of Pitch's vengeance towards the guardians.

There had to be someway to free her mind from his grasp, before they made their next attack.

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**A bit of jumping around the place...sorry if those lines get annoying for anyone. **


	11. Merry Christmas

**Thanks for all the support you guys. There was one guest review however that perked my interest. They asked why this story didnt have many favourites/follows. Honestly, I don't have an answer for them. From what all your reviews have been telling me, this is a good story that you all want to continue. Does anyone know how to get more people reading? I would really appreciate it if anyone knows something.**

******To anyone who read this chapter in the past few hours, I apologise profoundly for any ridiculous occurences you may have found. My cousin hacked into my account while I was away from the computer and thought it would be funny to make me look like an idiot. I think I've changed most of the alterations back to it's original form, but if there is any others I missed, please know that is was not me who wrote it. **

* * *

"These toys won't deliver themselves!" Jack was happy to see that North had returned to his normal self. The nightmare attack on the Pole was nothing more than a bad memory. Everything was ready and the children, now fast asleep, had been returned home.

North climbed into his sleigh, the yetis lowering the toys down behind him. There was no room for the other guardians this time but North still required their assistance in the deliverance. Bunny was already gathering the toys he would take through his tunnels. Sandy had a bag full of Christmas goodies ready to leave. Before Jack picked up his own bag, he checked on Tooth a final time. She and the elves had been making progress on the fairies. Baby Tooth had opened her eyes for a few moments, before falling unconscious again. Seeing one of them awake again gave Tooth hope but it made her even more frantic. She had made it clear to the others that she wasn't joining them tonight. The other guardians were completely understanding, although were worried for her. She had been working nonstop for the last few days, distressed about the health of her fairies. Her feathers were almost always ruffled and her eyes looked tired.

Since Tooth herself was preoccupied, it had already been decided that the guardians would collect the teeth while they were delivering the toys. Tooth was exceptionally grateful that they had offered to help once again.

"Are you sure you'll be ok here?" Jack asked her. Exhausted, Tooth nodded.

"Go. My fairies need me." Jack was sympathetic towards her but didn't challenge her decision to stay. Jack jumped up onto the wing of the sleigh. He gave her a short smile before the reindeer charged off, dragging the sleigh behind.

* * *

It was a race for the teeth all over again, only this time they were leaving more than just a quarter. Jack bounded into each house, placing gifts underneath the brightly decorated trees and taking the tooth from beneath the child's pillow. It was fun for sure. But no matter what he did, there was still something missing.

Jack figured a visit to an old friend would help keep his mind occupied. He darted his way through the air and into the town of Burgess. He leapt in through the window of a house. He held his mini sack of presents over his shoulder, in a Santa Claus mockery. He felt pretty ridiculous doing so, but it made him laugh.

"Jack?" A smile formed when he heard the sound of his name come from a familiar voice. He spun around to face Jamie. He was looking taller each day. His eyes were wide, his expression mirroring Jack's. He ran forward and hugged the winter spirit.

"You here!" he exclaimed in a hushed voice. He didn't want to wake his mum or sister. Jamie suddenly looked baffled.

"Why are you here?" he asked. Jack put his bag of toys down. Jamie stared at them, his confusion amplifying.

"Just helping out North" he said in a cheery voice. There was no way he would tell Jamie the real reason he was helping with the Christmas present delivery. It would be much too complicated to try and explain. Jamie didn't even know who Jaz Flame was, let alone that she had been chosen as a guardian before turning evil. Jack didn't want Jamie to worry about the guardians, or Pitch being back. The last thing he wanted was for his first believer having to be dragged back into the war of the immortals. As a guardian, it was Jack's responsibility to protect the children and bring fun to them. So that's what he was doing.

He reached over to his bag and pulled out a box. He showed it to Jamie, who could hardly contain his excitement.

"This is yours" he said, going to hand it to him. He suddenly pulled back, to Jamie's surprise and disappointment. "Although you're not supposed to be up Christmas Eve, are you? Santa doesn't deliver toys to those on the naughty list." Jamie suddenly understood what Jack was doing, and smirked.

"Says the guy who holds the record" he retorted. "Besides, you're not Santa. You don't get to decide." Jack laughed at his response, handing him the present.

"Fair enough." The two of them were interrupted as Sophie walked into the room, rubbing her eyes.

"Uh oh" Jamie muttered, his shoulders raised in embarrassment. This was exactly what they had been trying to avoid.

"Jamie?" she yawned, looking at her big brother. "What's happrening?" Jack was amused by her attempt to say a big word. She had always had a bit of trouble speaking but for a girl who only recently turned four, she was doing well. She caught sight of him, jumping up and down excitedly as if all drowsiness had vanished completely from her system.

"Jack! Jack! Jack!" she giggled. Smiling, Jack put his hand back in the sack, taking out a second larger present. He held it out to her.

"Here you go, Soph. You've been a good girl." She struggled to hold it, toppling over from its immense size. She hit the ground but only laughed. Jack was glad to see she was ok. Jamie on the other hand, wasn't surprised. Ever since she could walk, she had been falling over. He was amazed she had such an injury tolerance.

"Now, you're not allowed to open them till tomorrow. Deal?"

Jamie and Sophie smiled. "Deal."

As much as Jack wanted to stay with the Bennett's, he knew he still had a lot of work to do before the night was up. He made his way to the window he had entered from.

"Jack!" Jamie called out, making him turn back.

"What is it?"

Jamie looked uneasy as he fiddled awkwardly with the sleeves of his pyjamas.

"I was just wondering," he began. He finally looked Jack in the eye. "If you see Pippa tonight, could you ask her if she's still upset with me?" Jack was confused by Jamie's request.

"I thought she was your friend—"

"Oh she is" Jamie clarified, cutting Jack off. "She's just mad at me cause I kind of accidentally ignored her a few days ago when we were waiting for you to come." Jack remembered how he had failed to keep his promise by not showing up.

"Sure" he assured him. "And listen, I'm sorry for not turning up that day." Jamie shrugged his apology off.

"Hey, you're a guardian now. I'm not the only kid you have to look out for." Jack was pleased to hear that his friend understood. Saying his final goodbyes to the two of them, he left their house and flew to the next.

Jack wasn't sure if he was even meant to 'play Santa' at Pippa's house. He slowly crept in through the window of her house to check if any of the others had already been there. He frowned when he saw a pile of presents already under the tree. He shook the idea of leaving from his head. Gifts or no gifts, he still had one more task to complete there. He made his way up the stairwell. Pippa's bedroom, he knew, was at the end of the left corridor upstairs. He entered her room, looking at her sleeping soundly. He gently stirred her awake.

Her eyes opened in a flash, screaming when she saw him. Knowing the noise of her cry would wake her parents, Jack covered her mouth with his hand. An icy sensation flowed through her head, numbing her face. Shivering, she pushed her hand away.

"Jack! What are you doing here?" She rubbed her cheek and lips, trying to return feeling to them. Guilt of waking her up clouded his mind.

"Sorry" he apologized. "Jamie wanted me to talk to you." At the mention of his name, Pippa turned away and crossed her arms.

"I'm not listening to anything he has to say" she said stubbornly. Jack exhaled deeply, knowing now it would be a long night for him. He sat down on the bed beside her.

"He's sorry for ignoring you" Jack passed on Jamie's message. Pippa glared at him.

"Why are you relaying messages for him? Don't you have better things to do? Like protecting the world!" Jack was taken aback by her quick come back. He took a moment to think about his reply. Pippa was an intelligent but sensitive girl.

"You're both my friends" he answered her. "I don't like seeing you two fighting like this, especially if it's somehow related to me." She couldn't argue with him. She sighed quietly.

"I'll talk to him," she murmured. Jack couldn't have been more relieved by her choice.

"Thank you." He watched as she climbed back into bed, falling asleep almost as soon her head hit the pillow. With a brisk nod of satisfaction of what he had achieved, he opened her window and soared out into the night.

It wasn't long before he had joined the others back at the Pole.

Jack had been careful to keep a lookout for Pitch, Jaz or the nightmares all night. Much to his surprise, they never came.

* * *

**Be sure to keep reading. It gets REAL interesting from here on out. **


	12. Fighting Shadows

**Warning: This chapter contains dark themes, lots of violence, blood and torture. If your comfortable with that, read on.**

* * *

Jaz moved through Pitch's lair in silence. Her body was still adjusting to the darkness that was now inside of her. It would take time, but it seemed like the longer it was a part of her, the harder it became to control herself. She wasn't a fool; she knew that the fear was taking over. There remained a portion of her mind that was untouched by darkness, though it grew smaller ever hour that passed.

She flew over to where Pitch was waiting for her by the Globe. She bowed down before him. He hardly seemed to notice her being there. She rose to her feet.

"What is the plan?" she asked, drawing his attention from his thoughts. He gestured to the lights.

"Look at them, Jaz" he instructed her. She did as told. Golden lights dappled the cold surface, each representing a child who believed.

Pitch had turned away, his hands behind his back.

"Are they going out?"

"No"

Pitch gazed up at the prisons in which the yetis and elves had once been held captive in.

"What about the cells? Are they occupied?"

"No"

"And why is that?" Jaz didn't reply this time.

Pitch spun around, furious.

"I'll tell you why. Because the guardians escaped from you!" Jaz shielded herself from his scowling. He suddenly stopped halfway through his tirade, replacing his words with a deep sigh. His walked away from her a few paces.

"That beast of yours" he spoke in a much calmer voice now. Jaz realized he was referring to Blaze.

"He is," he paused briefly before continuing, "An irritation." Jaz's eyes widened at his words.

"Blaze" she whispered.

"Extinguish him" Pitch ordered. Her head shot up.

"What?" He looked over his shoulder at her insecure state.

Pitch chuckled. "We don't want him creating a mess now, do we?" When Jaz didn't answer he added, "Kill him, now."

Jaz could barely breathe.

"Do as I say" Pitch was starting to become impatient. His tone had grown darker. "But…But Blaze is my friend" she argued.

"He's an insufficient pest! Now get rid of him." Jaz lifted her head, staring up at him with a steady gaze.

"No."

Pitch was lost for words. She had just denied him, despite being under his control. His own insecurity started to break the surface. He sniggered to cover it.

"Very well" he said, his eyes scaling her body to where her dagger hung from her belt.

"I'll do it myself." He advanced towards her. He stretched his hand out towards her expectantly.

"Give me the dagger." Jaz grasped the handle in her hand, but didn't draw it. She took a few steps back from him.

"But…it's mine" Her mumbled words were unclear and hesitant. He moved closer to her.

"Think of it as a sign of loyalty to me."

Her mind was a mess. Half of her was urging to pull it out and hand it to him, the other half screaming at her to keep it away from him at all costs. She was torn, and running out of time to decide.

"Oh how cute" Pitch's mocking voice made her recoil. "You're trying to resist me. I already warned you, Jaz. You can't escape fear."

Jaz couldn't let him win. She knew she had to keep resisting the darkness, even if it destroyed her.

She finally managed to break through. A glowing light came from her body, magnifying their shine on each of her streaks. Her silver hair returned to its original flame red colour and her eyes lightened. A discharge of darkness was released from her body, ascending into the air and disintegrating. She tilted her head and watched as it fell.

She glared at Pitch, unsheathing her dagger.

"Maybe not, but I sure can fight it!"

She swiped her dagger through the air, sending a torrent of fire straight at him. Pitch ducked as it skimmed past him. His teeth gritted when he saw her run. He threw his arms up into the air, striking his own attack. Black sand gushed towards her in the form of a massive wave. Jaz twisted her head, glimpsing a flash of its exterior before the surge submerged her. Her dagger was ripped from her grasp, leaving her defenceless. Her entire body was engulfed by the darkness. She could still hear Pitch's voice from beyond the shadows, but he merely left her there to drown

* * *

Pain surrounded every area of her body. Her eyelids were heavy and stung when she tried to open them. Barely able to keep herself awake, Jaz weakly looked at her surroundings. Everything was dark, and brought an unfriendly coldness in which drew the energy from her. She couldn't remember anything. Not where she was, or how long she had been there.

Her arms were stretched up above her head. Shackles made from nightmare sand were bound tightly around her wrists. Every time she moved, they grew tighter. Blood dripped down her arms, dry and fresh. She struggled to lift her head, gasping for a breath of air. Arid air filled her lungs. Her head fell limp, her chin digging into her chest. She looked at the rest of her body. The lower part of her jacket had been torn off, leaving her midriff exposed to the cold air. Her skin was even paler than usual and covered in a combination of cuts, grazes and gashes. Her legs dangled from the floor, not touching the chilling black tile beneath her bare feet. Her belt was looking even more tattered than usual. The vessel that held her dagger was once again empty. Her hair hung in strings, covering her face. She felt weak; more so than she'd ever been before.

The sound of footsteps against tile made her aware of her abrupt company. Her eyes peered through the strands of her hair, making out the shadowy figure of Pitch.

"Sleep well?" he greeted her. Jaz's chest heaved. It hurt, but the anger she felt distracted her from most of the pain.

"You traitor!" she rasped. Even her voice hurt. Pitch looked at her in surprise, but laughed.

"Oh I'm the traitor now am I?" he questioned. "You're precious guardians seem to think otherwise."

The realization hit Jaz hard.

"It was you" a whisper was all her voice could support. "The workshop, the nightmares, the burnt toys…It was all you. You set me up!" She had much more she wanted to say but her heavy breathing forced her to stop. Pitch smirked.

"Look who finally figured it out" he said scornfully.

"Why?" she pleaded for an answer.

"Because I needed your energy. After my last defeat, I was weak. I was forced to remain in the shadows, sending one nightmare out at a time to collect fear. Eventually, after two slow years of recovering, I had grown strong enough. But it's you I owe most thanks to."

"Me?"

"Yes. You see, your anger and hatred is what kept me sustained all throughout those years. The pain you felt of not being seen, the fear you had of finding out why." Pitch started to pace in front of her.

"Once enough of my power had been restored, I was able to see for myself the extent of your power. It was remarkable. Unlike anything I'd ever seen before. I just had to have it for myself."

"So you set me up" Jaz spat.

"I knew once the guardians got a hold of you, they'd do everything they could to convince you to be one of them. I wasn't about to just stand by and watch them waste such power. I knew I had to find a way to prove to you that they didn't trust you. So I sent my nightmares to North's workshop. Add a little fire, and done. One Jaz Flame inspired wreckage." Jaz's eyes burned with anger at his insults.

"You were easier than I expected to take control over" he admitted. "Well, all but one little thing. It seemed you had a sufficient amount of freewill; more than I had originally anticipated. But that just needed a little…" He pulled out her dagger from behind his back. Jaz almost didn't recognize it. The blade was completely black, as was the handle and even the gemstone.

"…persuasion." Jaz watched wide-eyed as he inspected the blade, admiring its new shadow form.

He walked closer to her, his golden eyes staring almost right through her. He reached his free hand out towards her face. Jaz tried to pull away but her restraints held her back. Pitch grabbed hold of her by the jaw. His sharp nails dug into the skin of her cheeks, drawing blood when she continued to struggle. He forced her to look at him. Tears and dirt already stained her face.

"Such a pretty face" he said to her. Jaz held back further tears from falling.

"What a shame."

Jaz tried whatever she could to shake him off. She twisted her head and snapped at his hand with her teeth. She just missed him. Pitch released her from his grasp, slapping her hard across the cheek. Her head was knocked back from his blow, falling limp.

He motioned with his hands and immediately the bindings around her wrists fell away. She dropped to the floor. Her body lay in a heap, crying. She didn't even try to get away from him in the state she was in.

Pitch bent over, tying new chords of black sand around her waist. More tethers formed around her wrists, holding them together and close to her chest. With a lengthened piece of nightmare rope, he dragged her broken body across the tile floor into the next room. He picked up her body, placing her face down on a cold stone table. He secured her restrains tightly across the table so she couldn't move.

"Relax my little flame. We're almost done. I just need to make you more _presentable_ for your oh so precious guardians." Pitch's hands reached for her shoulders. He dragged the jacket down, revealing a small patch of unscathed skin. He took out her dagger.

"Hold still" he whispered into her ear. Jaz's weeping turned to violent screams as he drove the dagger down into her body. Her limbs flailed as much as they could under the restraints. Old wounds that had closed over reopened while new ones formed. No matter how hard she screamed, there was no escape from the agonizing pain.

Pitch longed for her screaming. It fed him power. He kept focused on what he was doing; however paused numerous times, the dagger still wedged in her back, to enjoy the moment. He eventually finished.

"Now you're ready."

As soon as he left the room, the sand vanished. Jaz lay motionless. She didn't need to see what he had carved across her shoulder blades. She had felt every inch of every letter he engraved into her skin. He had used her own dagger to brand her as his own.

Blood dripped from her newly created wound. A wound crusted with shadows, spelling out the words, '_Pitch Black_'.


	13. Life or Death

**Big thank you to moonshroom420 for your incredibly supportive and helpful reviews of my story. You're amazing, and it's great to see another reader/writer from the land down under. Hope you keep reading.**

**Also to ihearthorses6000. Again, you have been a huge influence for both me and this fanfic. Without your support, this story wouldn't be nearly half as good. **

* * *

Jack stared out the window of the workshop, lost in thought. Christmas had been two days ago, and there had still been no sign of either Pitch or Jaz. No nightmares had attacked or even been sighted. It was peaceful, but tension and uncertainty of not knowing when to expect the next attack was growing.

A familiar fluttering sounded close by. At first Jack assumed it was Tooth, but thought vanished when he saw Baby Tooth fly up in front of his eyes.

"Baby Tooth!" he exclaimed, jumping to his feet. He held her close to his cheek, carefully hugging the newly recovered fairy. She was awake and looking much stronger than the last time Jack had seen her. Although she was still quite weak and suffering from the effects the nightmare had on her.

"Baby Tooth?" Tooth's worried voice came from the next room. "Where are you?" Jack looked to the mini fairy, figuring she probably shouldn't be out of the infirmary yet. She quickly hid in his jacket when Tooth flew in.

"Have you seen Baby Tooth? She's supposed to be resting" Tooth sounded like a distressed mother. Jack smiled innocently, shaking his head.

"I'll help you look for her." Tooth returned the smile. Not waiting for him, she flew out of the room. Jack looked at his shoulder, where Baby Tooth's head was poking out from his hood.

"You've been hanging around me too much," he joked, commenting on her mischievous behaviour. Baby Tooth perked up, smiling at him. He stood up and took hold of his staff from where it rested against the wall nearby. He held his other hand up towards Baby Tooth, who climbed onto it voluntarily. They walked to the door.

"You really should be getting your rest though." Baby Tooth pouted, but nodded sulkily at his appeal. Jack soared over to where Tooth was asking Sandy.

Sandy was shaking his head as Tooth bombarded him with questions. He rolled his eyes, a dreamsand arrow pointing to Jack as he flew over.

"Found her" He handed her over to Tooth. A look of relief washed over Tooth, but it was quickly replaced by exasperation.

"What did you think you doing? Leaving your room like that. Don't you want to recover?" The young fairy nodded, chirping softly.

"She just wanted to see everyone else. She's been unconscious for almost a week" Jack pointed out. Tooth glared at him.

"Don't you defend her. She knows better than this." She flew off with Baby Tooth.

"No more sneaking out" Tooth's voice still rung clearly, even after she was gone. Jack and Sandy exchanged an 'I'm glad I'm not her' look. Jack chuckled, while Sandy smiled.

Bunny appeared from a tunnel close to them. The amount of concern on his face made the two of them nervous.

"We've got a problem" he stated darkly, jumping out of his hole.

"Nightmares?" Jack guessed. Bunny shook his head, showing him what he was holding in his paw. It was a black arrow with a burnt tip. It pierced through a piece of parchment. Jack tore off the paper, reading through the message written on it. His eyes widened, his grip on the sides of the note tightening.

_'Sacrifices will be made, one way or another. Come to the graveyard of warmth, or rest easy knowing the flame has been forever extinguished.' _

"Jaz" Jack whispered. He turned to Bunny. "Where did you find this?"

"It was down in my Warren" he told him. "I brought it straight here after I read it. We have to find North, now!" Sandy took the arrow from Jack. Almost as soon as he touched it, it turned to dreamsand. He formed the image of Pitch's shadow above his head.

The three of them ran to North's office.

"What is it?" he asked as they entered. Bunny showed him the note. He read it through, taking his time on each word.

"He has her under his control. Why would he want to harm her?" Jack stepped forward.

"What does it matter?" he exclaimed. "Jaz's life is in danger. We can't just sit here!" Everyone in the room went silent. His outburst was surprising, especially given who he was defending. A dreamsand dagger shaped above Sandy's head, piercing downwards as if into a body. An image of Jack's staff was below it.

"I know she tried to kill me," Jack clarified with the little man. "But that was Pitch's doing, not hers." The others didn't respond, not convinced. Even Bunny was looking doubtful. "Man in Moon chose her to be a guardian, remember?" Jack was practically begging for some sort of understanding answer. When the others only casted him sympathetic looks, something inside him broke.

"Fine," he said, turning away crossly. "If you won't help, I'll find her myself." He ran out of the room, ignoring the calls from the other guardians for him to stop.

* * *

Pippa walked through the snowy streets holding her skateboard. All her friends were with her, except Jamie.

"You still haven't talked to Jamie yet?" Caleb asked. Pippa didn't respond.

"I thought you told Jack you would" Monty said timidly, tripping up on a word or two. She rolled her eyes.

"It was the middle of the night and I was tired. I would have said anything to get him out of my room." The twins and Monty exchanged a look.

"Girls are so unpredictable when they get older" Claude muttered to the others, who laughed. Pippa spun around, her cheeks flushing red in irritation.

"Oh go jump in the frozen lake!" She dropped her board, skating away from them. Cupcake slapped Claude in the back of his head, running after her. Claude rubbed his head, his brother and Monty shrugging at him.

Cupcake soon caught up with her.

"Whoa, slow down would you" she said once she reached her. Pippa looked back at her. She sighed, flipping up her skateboard.

"Don't listen to them, they're just stupid boys." Cupcake's comment made her smile.

"What happened with you and Jamie to make you so mad at him anyway?" Pippa stopped walking.

"I just feel as though he spends all his time with Jack now. It's like whenever we hang out, that's all he can talk about." Cupcake was still confused.

"But Jack's your friend too" she pointed out.

"Yeah, but he was Jamie's friend first. Jamie was Jack's first believer, and will always share a special bond with him."

Cupcake looked thoughtful.

"So what I'm hearing is you're jealous that Jamie is Jack's favourite? And that you want to have that same relationship with a guardian." Pippa was speechless. She hadn't thought of it like that. She knew that she wanted to have a bond with someone but did it really have to be a guardian? The more she thought about it, the more she realized it was what she desired.

"But how do I get that?" she questioned Cupcake. "All the guardians already have believers, and it's not like a new guardian is chosen often. It could be a hundred years before someone else is picked." Cupcake started to walk back to the others.

"There's not much else you can do but wait. Talk to Jack maybe. But not before you speak with Jamie."

Pippa was left wondering what she meant by that. She supposed she couldn't hold it against Jamie forever. They were just kids after all. It was a stupid thing to be fighting over anyway. Not giving it a second thought, she ran to Jamie's house.

"Jamie!" she called out, knocking on the front door. Sophie opened it.

"Oh, hi Soph. Is Jamie here?" Pippa asked her, peering over the top of her into the house. Sophie turned around to face the hallway.

"Jamie!" she shouted loudly. The brown-haired boy ran around the corner. He held a toy robot in one hand and a doll in the other.

"Pippa!" he startled, seeing her. He hid the toys behind his back.

"Uh, what are you doing here?" He looked embarrassed. Pippa guessed that the doll was Sophie's. Or at least she hoped it was.

"We need to talk" she explained. "Can we go outside?" Jamie nodded, placing the toys down. He walked past his little sister and closed the door.

"I want to apologize for what I said a few days ago" she began once they had their privacy. Jamie tipped his head to the side.

"It wasn't fair for me to treat you the way I did. I was being jealous."

"Jealous? Of Jack?" Jamie asked, not sure if he understood completely what she meant. Pippa nodded.

"You spend most of your time with him these days, I feel like I'm being left out." She lowered her head. Jamie placed a comforting and reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"You're my best friend" he said. He decided to leave out the part about her and Jack both being his best friends.

"You should have just told me you were feeling that way. I would have done something about it?" Pippa looked up at him, a small smile gracing her lips.

"Really?"

Jamie grinned. "Yeah! And hey, you know you can always talk to Jack about the whole favourite thing." Pippa shook her head.

"No. I'm glad you and Jack have such a great relationship. I just wish I had that with someone."

Jamie seemed to understand now. Pippa held her arms awkwardly.

"Jamie," she murmured. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"How did you hear about Jack Frost? I know he made you believe in the Easter Bunny and that's how you first saw him, but how did you know it was him?" Jamie thought about the question intently. He remembered back to when he first heard Jack Frost's name.

"My mum mentioned him before I went sledding. She said, 'you don't want Jack Frost nipping at your nose'. I had never heard her say that before, but when I asked her about it, she said it was just an expression."

"Was Jack there when she said that?" Pippa asked.

Jamie nodded. "He's the reason the snowball fight started. He wanted to get back at me for asking who Jack Frost was." He chuckled thinking about it. It seemed like such a long time ago that had happened.

Pippa froze. "Wait a minute; let me see if I understand this correctly. Your mum mentioned his name, you asked about it, she said it was an expression, and then something extraordinary happened?" She referred to the snowball fight as extraordinary, remembering how Cupcake had turned from a nasty tyrant to the fun-loving girl she now called her friend, all because she was hit by a snowball.

Jamie wasn't exactly sure where she was going with this. Pippa didn't have time to explain it to him. In a flash, she was gone.

"I'll tell you later!" she called back to Jamie as she ran to her house.

She slammed the door shut, skidding around the corner and into the living room. She was glad no one was home. She crouched down by her new fireplace. Taking hold of the poker she had been told off for using, she studied it with her eyes. There was nothing odd about it. Her eyes flickered between the metal bar and the cold fireplace. Events from a few nights ago played over in her head.

Her father snatched away the poker. She pouted as he placed it back.

"Don't play with fire. You don't want to feel Jaz Flame's wrath do you?" _Her parent mentioning an unknown name to her to warn her of something. _

Pippa was confused by what he had said.

"Jaz Flame?" she questioned. _Questioning the name. _

Her dad laughed at her curiosity towards his saying.

"It's just an expression kiddo." _An Expression. _

Her father moved to the other side of the room. Pippa noticed the fire burning out at an unusual speed. It started to scare her, watching as the flames suddenly vanished. At first she thought it was something to do with the fireplace itself. She called out to her father but as soon as she did, the fire revived itself, ravaging the wood. The fire shaped from a wild blaze to calming flames. The way it moved was unnatural. Never before had she seen fire react like that. _Something extraordinary occurring._

Pippa could hardly breathe. Was it possible? Could Jaz Flame actually exist? And if so, was it her that had made her fireplace behave the way it did? She needed answers, and she needed them fast.

* * *

"I'm not going to leave her" Jack said to himself, pacing. His eyes glanced over the words in Pitch's note another time.

"The Graveyard of Warmth" he whispered. He was pretty sure there was only one place that could be. A place of ice and cold, a frozen wasteland._ Antarctica_.

If Jaz had been taken there, the fire inside of her would already be starting to burn out. Pitch knew as well as any of the guardians; if an immortal was wounded bad enough, then the Man in the Moon would have no choice but to take their life. It was a sign of mercy, so that they would not have to suffer any longer. Jaz was the spirit of fire. In a place as cold as Antarctica, she didn't stand a chance of survival.

Jack had no other choice. If he didn't go, she would die. There was still a high possibility that her life would be taken from her even if he did go. But if there was even the slightest hope of saving her, he would take it.

* * *

**I remembered seeing in one of the RotG trailers Jamie and his friends crossing a street. The twins were riding skateboards while Pippa held hers. I thought it was interesting and wanted to add that into my story. It suits her already somewhat tomboyish character if you ask me. **

**One more thing to clarify. The whole 'immortal dying' thing; by no means am I saying that a mere injury alone can kill a spirit. Think of it this way. What would happen if you kept an open flame out in Antarctica? It would grow weak right? What would happen once it's weakened? It would extinguish. That's the basic concept around it. My idea is that all immortals/guardians have a (natural) weakness. If exposed to it when he or she is weak enough, they die. Does that make sense?**


	14. Broken and Shattered

Tooth dashed through North's workshop, searching for Jack. He had to be here. She refused to believe that he had actually gone after Pitch. It was a death wish, for both him and Jaz.

"Jack!" she cried out. Only silence answered her. The others were checking the other areas of the Pole but to no avail.

"Did you find him?" she asked North as she flew over to him. North shook his head.

"He's gone." Tooth's worries increased.

"Where could Pitch have meant by the 'graveyard of warmth?'" North looked deep in thought.

"I don't know." Bunny and Sandy joined them.

"Any luck?" Sandy formed a thumbs down sign in dreamsand.

Bunny sighed. "We've looked everywhere and there's no sign of him. He must have left the Pole." Tooth's feathers ruffled.

"We have to go after him." A dreamsand question mark appeared above Sandy's head.

"Sandy's right," North murmured. "We don't know where he went." Tooth looked at them in shock.

"So, what? We just going to leave him to kill himself?" she asked in utter disbelief.

"We're going to make a plan" Bunny corrected her. "We can't look for him because we don't know where he went. We need to think things through." North put his hands on his waist.

"Bunny is right. We must form a plan. Is the only way to save Jack."

"And Jaz" Bunny added.

Tooth remained hesitant, her worries about the two missing spirits crowding her already troubled mind. But she trusted the initiative of her friends enough to keep her thoughts to herself.

* * *

Jack landed in Antarctica, his vision becoming slightly blurry from his pallid surroundings. His search for Pitch had begun. The white land was so vast and empty. He had no idea where Pitch would be, or if he was even here yet. He started to realize he may not have thought his plan all the way through. Something caught his eye in the distance. Its black fractured surface made it pretty hard to miss. He used the wind to get to it. He gazed up at it, gasping when he recognized what it was. The frozen nightmare structure that he and Pitch had created during their fight two years ago. Seeing it again sent a shiver down his spine.

The sight of it made him remember how tempted he had been by Pitch's offer. He had made him vulnerable and insecure. He tricked Jack into believing the guardians didn't care about him, just as he had done this time with Jaz.

Jack had to find her, to prove to her that Pitch was wrong.

He made his way around the massive ice sculpture. Even now, he struggled to believe he had played a part in creating it.

"Frost?" He might have been expecting his voice, but hearing it didn't make him feel any less tense. He faced Pitch, keeping his expression deadpan. Pitch looked surprised to see him.

"Well, I was expecting the rabbit but whatever works" he commented, remaining where he was. Jack held his staff out at him.

"Where's Jaz?" he demanded in a threatening tone. Pitch smiled evilly.

"Why do you care about her? She's fire, you're ice. You were made to be enemies."

"The only enemy I have is you" Jack spat back.

Pitch eyed the seemingly empty space beside him. With a flick of his hand, black sand that cloaked the being underneath came into sight and rose into the air. Jack hardly recognized what he saw. Jaz rested unconsciously on the ground. Her arms and legs were shackled with nightmare sand, coiling around her waist, chest, neck and mouth. Her eyes were covered by a bandage of darkness. Her attire was looking much more torn up than usual and her jacket was missing the lower half of the fabric. Most of her clothing was soaked in dried blood. Her hair was messier than it normally was, being matted with shadow sand and blood. Jack's eyes immediately realized her streaks had returned to their original red. It made him sigh in reassurance knowing it was actually Jaz in front of him and not Pitch's latest fearling.

Jack was horrified to see her like this, but relieved when he saw her chest move as she breathed in shallow breathes. He felt sick knowing Pitch had done this to her. She had somehow managed to break free of the grip his fear had on her mind. This was her punishment.

Pitch twirled his finger, removing the sand from her eyes. As soon as it was gone, she regained consciousness. She thrashed around in her restraints, desperately trying to get free. Her eyes fell upon Jack, standing a few meters away. Her eyes filled with fear and grief, tears rolling down her filthy cheeks.

"How could you?" Jack choked out. Pitch's grin grew larger.

"You haven't seen it all yet." He pushed her harshly to the ground with his foot, dragging her shirt away from her shoulders. When Jack saw the blood and shadow encrusted words engraved in her shoulders, his mouth dropped open in horror. He couldn't find the words to describe the sickening sight of Pitch's name imprinted in her skin.

It was then Jack knew; this wasn't the same Pitch Black that had used nightmares to terrorize the children of the world. This was a monster, who tortured anyone who opposed him and left them for dead.

"Let her go!" he yelled at Pitch. He ran at him but skidded to a halt when he tightened his fist. The already tight coils wrapped around Jaz's throat constricted. The sand across her face muffled her chokes and screams. Pitch played around, removing and replacing the nightmare twine covering her mouth to his liking. Jack was forced to listen to the unbearable sound of her painful cries whenever he removed it.

"You did this to her," his words pounded at Jack's mind. "You drove her to this."

"Stop it!" Jack shouted over the top of her shrieks. Pitch paused what he was doing. In exhaustion, Jaz's head fell limp onto the ice.

"What do you want?" His pale blue eyes were pinned on Pitch.

"The staff." Came Pitch's short and clear response. Jack widened his eyes, startled.

"Hand it over, or watch her die." The last time he handed over his staff, Pitch had lied about letting Baby Tooth go. How could he trust him not to do the same with Jaz?

"Time is ticking, Jack" he taunted him. He glanced down at Jaz's weak frame. "She doesn't have long left."

"You're not going to let her go" Jack fought, knowing exactly what would happen.

"We play by my rules" Pitch growled. "Now choose. The staff or her life?" Jack's body trembled with uncertainty but he sighed, knowing what he had to do. He flipped his staff, turning away as he handed it over to him. Pitch took it gladly. This situation felt very familiar to Jack.

He waited for Pitch's response to his decision. He crouched down, stroking the side of Jaz's face. She started to regain consciousness, flinching when he touched her.

"Funny what a pretty face can do to someone's judgement" Pitch sneered. He stood back up straight. Jaz's eyes were open now, but barely.

"Why do you even want it?" Jack questioned him. He forced himself to ignore the scornful remark his enemy had just made. Pitch took out another object from behind his back.

"I thought it would go nicely with my collection."

Jack wasn't sure what it was, until he managed to get a closer look at it. It was her dagger. Only it wasn't; it was pitch black. Jack's gaze flickered down to Jaz. Her painful expression informed him that she was already aware of her dagger's fate. She shut her eyes, her chin pressing into her chest.

"Jaz's dagger" Jack whispered, looking back at Pitch, whose eyes were fixed on the shadow blade.

"Powerful little thing," he commented. He gazed at where Jaz lay. "Shame it only works in her hands."

Jack went to run forward, but snares of the nightmare sand snagged his feet.

"I don't think so, Jack" Pitch sniggered. "You're not going anywhere."

They wound up his legs, pinning him to the icy ground beneath. The more he struggled, the tighter they became. He couldn't move.

Pitch made his way over to Jaz. Releasing one of her hands from its chains, he hauled her body from the ground. He placed the dagger's handle in her palm. As soon as it touched her, it returned to its original state. More sand forced her hand to close around it. Water flowed freely from her eyes as Pitch held out Jack's staff. Jack's heart was pounding loudly in his chest.

Pitch took hold of her arm, throwing it down. Her dagger sliced through his staff with ease. Fire and ice exploded from the staff's broken edges, sending a gust of both hot and cold wind in all directions. Jack and Jaz cried out in pain.

The familiar feeling that he had once before experienced shot through Jack's body. This time, it was amplified. It was a burning sensation like he had never felt before. It surged through his chest and into the rest of his body. He clawed at his stomach, forced to bear the searing pain until it passed.

Jaz felt as though her body was being frozen from the inside out. She was already weak from the cold, but the effect produced by the collision of their weapons knocked her out.

The sand around Jack's ankles vanished. He knew what was coming next, but couldn't stop himself from looking up anyway. The nightmare attack slammed him in the chest, smashing him up against the ice wall. Pitch drove Jaz's dagger into the ice. The ground split, creating a new crevasse beneath Jack as he fell. His broken staff dropped down along with him. Jaz's knife was enveloped in darkness again. Her unconscious body fell through the fractured ice, landing limply beside Jack. Taking the dagger, Pitch vanished.

Jack rubbed his head, looking up. Freedom seemed so far away. He couldn't believe he was trapped in a crevasse in Antarctica, again!

His gaze landed on his broken staff. He crawled over to it, trying to mend it like he had the first time. He shut his eyes and concentrated, pulling back as a fiery energy flowed through him. He dropped the pieces of his staff. The burn Jaz had healed on his palm was recreated on both his hands. He breathed heavily. He couldn't fix it. He was stuck down here. If only Jaz— _Jaz!_ He suddenly realized.

He edged over to where she lay. Her nightmare bonds had completely disintegrated. He shook her gently but she didn't stir. Jack looked around, seeing nothing but ice. He needed to find a way to keep her warm. Her heart rate had slowly right down. She didn't have long. He found himself eyeing his staff again. If it had made him warm, maybe it would do the same with her. He held it out above her chest, piecing it together. He gritted his teeth as the heat seared through him again. He had to hold on. Jaz's life depended on it. Sparks flew from the break in the wood, landing on her chest.

Her eyes flashed open and she gasped for breath. She was trembling, but she was alive.

Jack couldn't hold back the smile that formed on his lips when he saw her wake. She struggled to catch her breath.

"You're going to be fine" he assured her, careful not to touch her body.

"Can you generate enough heat down here?' Jaz shook her head weakly, her eyes full of sorrow. Jack was worried, until he realized she wasn't answering his question.

"He was right" she murmured. Jack scarcely heard her.

"Pitch was right," she said, slightly louder. "I'm nothing but destruction." Jack felt emotion overwhelm him. He had been full of self-doubt when he had been trapped down here the first time. He was lucky; he had had Baby Tooth to reassure him by showing him his memories.

"Wait" he whispered under his breath. He put his hand into the pocket of his jacket, pulling out Jaz's teeth box. Jaz had curled up, waiting for the Man in the Moon to reclaim her life. Jack moved over to her, holding out the box.

"Here."

Jaz lifted her head weakly, jumping back when she caught sight of them.

"Keep them away from me" she repeated the words she had used with Jack at the Tooth Palace. This time though there was no anger. Just empty fear.

Jack wasn't about to let her give up on herself.

"Look at them" he encouraged. "You have to see the real reason you're here." Jaz opened her mouth to argue, when something clicked in her mind.

"You've seen them" she whispered. Her voice was questioning. Jack had to tell her the truth. He nodded.

"Yes."

* * *

Jack wandered around the Pole, trying to figure out everything. How could Jaz have done this to them? He couldn't grasp an explanation. He saw Tooth fly past. An idea struck him. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a memory box. Jaz had told him to keep it, claiming that he should look at them if he was that curious. He knew she probably didn't mean it literally but he couldn't think of any other way to find out why she might have been behind the attack. Knowing her past might be the only way to discover the truth.

He decided to check with Tooth before going ahead with his plan.

"Jaz's memories" she exclaimed as soon as she saw the box in his hand. Jack held it up to her. "Why do you have them?"

"I want to know if I can see them" he said, brushing off her question. Tooth looked at him questioningly.

"Why?"

Jack looked frustrated. "Tooth, I don't have time to explain. Please, can you show me her memories?" Tooth took a moment to think about what he was asking. She took her time but eventually nodded.

"Alright. I trust you have a good reason. Place your hand on the box" she instructed him. He did as she said. She placed her hand on the top of it, taking it off as soon as the memory began to unfold. If Jack wanted to see them, he'd have to do it alone.

Jack was left gasping for air after seeing Jaz's memories. Tooth stayed by his side, making sure he was ok.

"What happened? What did you see?" Jack couldn't answer her. He was too shaken from what he had seen. The memories, each filled with sadness and anguish, played over in his mind. But there was something else. Something he couldn't quite get his head around. There was a portion of her past that no matter what he did, he couldn't shake from his thoughts.

* * *

Jack looked Jaz in the eye, placing the small memory box in her lap.

"Look at them" he murmured. "Please Jaz."

Hesitant, Jaz glanced down at them. She swallowed nervously, fearing what she was about to see. She slowly reached her hand out and opened the first of her memories.

* * *

**Similarity to the movie anyone? Can't say I didn't warn you earlier on.**


	15. Memories: Part 1

**Her memories are going to be split into two separate chapters. Let me apologize in advance if anything in these memory chapters are not totally historically accurate. I did some research, but had to adjust and compromise it a bit in order for it to fit the rest of the story planned ahead. **

* * *

Everything shone brightly as soon as she touched the box. Her surroundings fell away, and she was left standing in amongst a colonial settlement. Knowing it was a memory, she knew she could not be seen or heard. Not that that was anything new for her.

She gazed around. The settlement looked similar to the one she had stumbled upon when she awoke as Jaz Flame, but there one difference. _Snow!_

She watched as a young boy with messy brown hair ran past, followed closely by a girl of a similar age. She had dark blonde hair and was wearing a tawny dress that went past her knee.

"Come on, Jaz!" the boy yelled back to her as he ran up a large hill. Young Jaz caught up to him. Grabbing his hand, they tumbled down the hill together. They landed in snow at the bottom, laughing.

The memory changed.

Jaz, looking back over her shoulder, was being chased by the same brown-haired boy. As soon as he'd gotten close enough, he took hold of her around the waist and hoisted her up into the air. Jaz screamed playfully.

"Put me down!" she laughed. The boy echoed her laughter.

He smiled up at her, shaking his head. "No way. You're light; I think I'll keep you." He ran around, carrying her.

The memory faded as another took its place.

Jaz was seated down by a roaring fire, watching as the same boy played around with a pair of antlers. He danced around, holding them to his head. She laughed, clapping at his humour. Several other younger children were around the fire as well, all amused by his performance. Jaz sat closer to the fire than any of the other children.

"Again!" they cheered to the boy once he'd finished. Afer taking a quick bow, the brown-haired entertainer smirked and started again.

"You're funny, Jack" one of the other children laughed.

More memories flashed by, demonstrating the closeness shown by the boy known as Jack towards her mortal self.

The full moon shone brightly in the night sky. The two of them lay on the hill from before, beneath the stars. Their hands were clasped together, their fingers entwined. Jaz pointed up to the moon with her free hand.

"It's so pretty" she commented. Jack nodded beside her.

"Mystical" he agreed.

"The moon's so bright and powerful" she murmured. "Makes you feel small."

"Sometimes I wish we could just stay here forever" Jack sighed.

They turned their heads to look at each other. Smiles spread across both their faces. It only lasted for a moment but something sparked between them.

The next memory included two other children; including a boy several years younger than Jaz and about half her height. He was the splitting image of her, with unkempt dirty blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He held Jaz's hand as they walked towards a house. Jack stood outside, a similarly aged girl standing behind him. Like him, she had rich brown hair and identical eyes. This memory must have been at least two years following the previous ones, as both Jaz and Jack were taller. While the same couldn't really be said for him, Jaz was looking much more mature.

When Jack's sister caught sight of her, she ran over to her. Her brother did the same when he saw Jack. Jaz knelt down to her level, hugging and picking her up.

"Look how much you've grown!" Jaz exclaimed. Jack's sister giggled. Jaz looked over to Jack, who was piggybacking her brother. They strolled over to each other, walking side by side into the woods.

The next one was back to just Jaz and Jack. The two teenagers were hiding in the treetops of the same woods from the last memory. They watched as children and adults ran beneath in search for them.

"Where'd they go?" The children asked each other. The looked around but couldn't find either of them.

"We know you're here" one of the adults called out. "Give us back our bread you little thieves!" The two of them stayed silent, waiting for them to pass by. Once they were certain they were gone, they climbed down to the lower sturdier branches.

"This sure is a lot of trouble for a small bit of bread" Jaz commented, dusting the leaves off her dress. Jack leant up against a tree limb, holding the bread they had taken in his hand. He snapped it in half.

"But it's worth it" he assured her, handing her one half of it. She bit down into its soft and warm texture.

"Good huh?"

"Mm!" She nodded vigorously.

"Freshly made."

It was delicious, she couldn't deny that. Jack was right; it was worth whatever trouble they'd get in with the rest of the settlement. Well, only if they could prove it was them who actually stole it. They were eating the evidence right now. Most of the settlers knew Jack as the roguish troublemaker, and knew her as the troublemaker's friend. She wasn't exactly proud of the title she had earned herself. Jack, on the other hand, couldn't care less. Jaz knew it was wrong to steal, especially for her. She had been raised to act like a lady. She wasn't supposed to climb trees, hang around with boys, or steal food. But whenever she was with Jack, it was as if she didn't have a care in the world what she was and wasn't meant to do. With him, she was free to be her normal self.

It was snowing in the next memory. Jack stood outside Jaz's house, waiting for her. His sister, Faith, stood beside him. A cold chill blew past them; a sign of winter coming early. Glancing up at him, Faith asked, "Where's Jaz and Ryan?" Jack looked down at his sister.

"I don't know. They should have been out by now." As if his words were a trigger, the door of their house opened. Ryan, Jaz's little brother rushed out. He ran over to where the two Overland children were waiting.

"Where's your sister?" Jack asked him. His eyes were bloodshot as though he'd been crying recently.

"She's ill" he told them. Jack, instantly worried, ran into the house. Faith and Ryan followed him. He hurried in through several rooms and into the room he knew Jaz slept in. Her mother was looking onto her sleeping body. Jack stood beside her, Faith and Ryan taking their place next to him. All of them watched Jaz. Her skin was pale, her eyes closed. A woollen blanket covered her completely, except her head. Droplets of sweat scattered her forehead. Her breathing was very shallow.

Her mother struggled to hold back tears of seeing her daughter this sick. Jack supported Faith as she cried into the side of his arm. She had a close bond with his sister. Jack struggled to believe she was actually like this. What could have caused her to become so ill so quickly?

He had to force himself to leave. Being there wasn't helping her heal and as much as he wanted to stay by her side, he knew it would only bring him and his sister grief. He took hold of her and led her outside.

"Is she going to be alright?" Faith asked him. When Jack looked into his sister's eyes, so full of innocence and hope, he couldn't bring himself to tell her otherwise.

"Of course she will" he replied, forcing a smile. "You'll see; she'll be back to usual self in no time." Faith smiled when he heard that. She started skipping back to their house. Jack's fake grin vanished the second her back was turned. Truthfully, he wasn't sure if she would recover. Illness wasn't an uncommon thing, but it was deadly. Most who became too infected by whatever sickness they had didn't survive. The thought of Jaz dying brought the taste of bile to his mouth. He was forced to shake the hideous thoughts away. He convinced himself that she would survive. She was a kind-hearted girl, who would never intentionally harm anyone or thing. She was young too. Why would her life be taken away from her so soon? He knew he parents loved her greatly and would do anything to ensure their daughter's health.

He nodded briskly to himself. She would pull through. He'd just have to wait.

Many days passed, but there was still no sign of Jaz's recovery. Ryan had come to him everyday, bringing news of her improvement. He told him that she had woken up but now struggled to return to sleep. Jack had seen her a few times, but each time was chased out by Jaz's fretful mother. He thought about sneaking in again though he knew he'd only get into more trouble. That's not what he or Jaz's parents needed right now.

He waited it out another week.

Snow was falling much faster and the atmosphere was growing colder. Winter was in a few weeks. Jack gazed up at the moon. He spun around when he heard something trudging through the snow behind him. He stood stunned when he saw who it was. He ran forward, hugging her close.

"Jaz!" he startled. "You've recovered!" Jaz took a step back from him, coughing severely and shaking her head. Jack saw she was wearing many layers of material, with a blanket wrapped around her upper body. She looked very weak; exhausted from coughing.

"Then what are you doing out here?" he asked. He removed his cloak, draping it around her shoulders to keep her warm.

"I had to talk to you" she rasped. Her voice was scratchy and quiet. Jack knew it must have been serious. He leant in, listening intently. Jaz looked away.

"Last night," she began. "I overheard my parents talking. They thought I was asleep, but I wasn't." She paused, taking in a deep breath. "They think they know the reason I'm sick." Jack's curiosity increased.

"They do? What is it?" Jaz looked at him.

"They think I got sick because of the snow" Her sentence was cut short when she started coughing and wheezing. Jack held her steady, noticing her legs trembling.

"The snow? That's ridiculous!" Jaz didn't respond. Jack pulled back in consciousness.

"You think so too" he said, softer. Jaz struggled to find the words.

"I think it's the exposure to the cold" she explained. Jack held her close to his body. She cried into his chest. "They said I wouldn't make it to winter."

"What are you going to do?" Jack asked, fighting back tears.

"That's what I'm trying to tell you. I overheard my parent's decision." She stopped to catch her breath. She looked into Jack's eyes, pain filling her own.

"We've leaving." Jack's mouth opened to speak but couldn't think of anything to say.

"Leaving? You can't leave!" He almost shouted at her. The pain was clear in his voice.

Jaz shook her head, crying. "The boats come in three days."

Jack froze. "Boats? Where are you going?"

"A new land" Jaz whispered. "My parents muttered the name of it. I didn't hear."

Jack didn't want to believe what he was hearing. He couldn't handle the sudden overwhelming emotions. He pushed her away, turning his back on her. Jaz felt more hurt by his actions than by the sickness.

"I don't want to leave" she tried to persuade him, her tears flowing freely.

"Go back home, Jaz" he muttered, not wanting her to see him like this. "You need to rest." With a pang of regret, he listened as she trekked through the thick snow back to her house. He looked over his shoulder, making sure she was gone. He gazed down to see his cloak lying in the snow.

* * *

Jaz managed to sneak back into her house without waking the rest of her family. No one was awake thankfully, meaning no one knew she had been gone. She lay down to sleep, crying into her arm. She was loosing her home, her life, and now she had lost her best friend. Jack had always been there for her. What would she do without him? She couldn't imagine her life without his company. Their new home, she had heard her mother say, was a place where it never snowed; even in winter. It reached high enough temperatures to ensure she would be safe from illness. If it was up to her, she would stay. She loved the snow, even if it did make her weak and vulnerable. She wanted to remain here with Jack, forever. Though she knew she had no choice. The boats were on their way and when they arrived, she would never see her home or Jack ever again. If she stayed she would be dead before winter. She wasn't going to let her family and Jack grieve because of her own selfish desires.

* * *

"Wake up" Jaz stirred when she heard her Jack's voice. She feebly opened her eyes, seeing him looking over her.

"What are you doing here?" she tried to ask, her words coming out even more grazed than before.

Jack hugged her, drawing her breath out. "I'm sorry" he whispered into her ear. Jaz was comforted by his presence. She rested her head on his shoulder.

"Jackson Overland!" The two of them broke apart when Jaz's mother's voice sounded. They looked at each other, then to her. She had her arms crossed with an angered look on her face. Her father stood beside her. He however, didn't look irritated. His expression held the slightest hint of amusement. Ryan, who was next to them, smiled when he saw Jack but said nothing.

Jack moved away from Jaz, biting down on his lip.

"Out. Now." Jack didn't question the command given by her father. He was followed out by him, giving him a firm slap on the back of the head as they left. Jaz's mother glared at her.

"You are supposed to be resting" she reminded her fiercely, walking out. Jaz felt sorry for Jack. The scolding he was about to endure would be harsh.

Jack stood before Jaz's parents, keeping his head down.

"Jasmine cannot deal with this," her mother lectured him. "Her life is on thin ice right now, and she does not need you and your temptations playing trickery on her mind."

"I wasn't trying to tempt or trick her" he argued. "I just wanted to say goodbye." Jaz's father looked at his wife.

"The boy does have a point. The two of them have been friends since they were little. He is in fact entitled to say goodbye to her before she leaves forever." Knowing she was outnumbered two to one, she caved in.

"Very well. The boats will be arriving in an hour; you have until then to part with her." With that, she and her husband left Jack. He couldn't breathe. An hour to say farewell to his best friend? He didn't waste his time dwelling on it. He hurried back to her, figuring out what to say in his mind.

* * *

Jack watched as Jaz and her family boarded the boat. There was so much more he wanted to say to her that he hadn't had the chance to. His eyes watered as the boats started to move through the water. Jaz stood on the end of the ship, layered in clothing. She waved to him. She may have been far away, but Jack could still tell she was crying.

_"I'll never forget you"_ she had told him on the waterfront. Jack wiped a tear from her cheek.

_"We'll meet again one day,"_ he comforted her. _"I promise."_

Seeing her depart made that promise feel like nothing more than empty words.

* * *

**Since Jack's sister doesn't have an official name, I decided to give her one. I never personally liked her as 'Emma' to be totally honest. Same goes with 'Pippa' (plus the real Pippa already has a big enough role in this story). 'Faith Overland' not only has that special meaning, but quite a nice ring to it. **

**Keep reading for part two! Reviews welcomed and appreciated. **


	16. Memories: Part 2

**I've been writing a sort of prequel to Frost and Flame, based around Jack and Jaz's lives when they were mortal. I was doing it for my own enjoyment but if people like this then I might post it up after I finish this story. Maybe, I don't know yet.**

* * *

Waves thrashed against the boat. Jaz shivered, trying to stay warm underneath the blanket she lay under. She curled up to preserve whatever heat she could. Her teeth chattered loudly. Her eyes were shut tight as she tried to block out the violent sounds of the waves battering against the ship. The floor she lay on was cold metal. Whenever she walked on it, the rusted ground dug into the soles of her feet. Grazes and bruises scattered both her feet and her legs. Sleeping on it was even more uncomfortable. It made her back hurt, and strained the muscles in her body particularly her shoulders.

She winced in her sleep when another wave smashed up against the boat. Even while she was sleeping, she wished she was back in her real home. She longed to be back with Jack and little Faith. Her dreams were filled with the Overland boy's image, and were the only thing that brought her comfort in these painful days of travel. The rest of her family seemed to be doing alright, but then again they weren't on the brink of death. Though the trip was rough, Jaz remained grateful to her parents for all they had done for her. Travel to other countries was a very rare privilege that few people, usually those with excessive wealth, received in their lifetimes.

She kept her eyes closed, attempting to return her mind to the sleeping world.

* * *

Jaz felt something pushing against her body. She groaned and blinked her eyes open. Ryan was kneeling over her, shaking her by the shoulders.

"Get up!" he exclaimed excitedly. "We're here!" Jaz heaved her body up, wincing at the pain it caused her. Ryan took hold of her hand, trying his best to help her up. Jaz eventually struggled to her feet. She coughed deeply. Her brother eagerly dragged her by the arm to the rickety door of the ship. She shunned away from the sunlight that blinded her as he swung the door open. Her eyes soon adjusted. Ryan had let go of her hand and run to the railing. Their parents were already outside, watching as the sailors unloaded the cargo from the ship. They turned to face Jaz when she walked out. Her mother rushed over. She held both sides of her face, despite Jaz's attempts to escape her examination.

"How are you feeling?" her father asked sympathetically. Jaz eventually shook her face free from her mother's grasp.

She snuffled, "Better." She inhaled the warm air. It was something she was not used to, but she had to admit it made her feel much stronger.

"What do you think of our new home?" her mother questioned. Jaz was already observing her surroundings. Soft sand along the shore, with trees unlike those she had ever seen before lined excessively from a few metres away to as far back as she could see. The sound of birds chirping was sweet music to her ears as they replaced the coarse noise of the crashing waves she had grown used to over the past week or so.

A large part of her didn't want to confess her liking of this new land; mainly because no matter how beautiful it was, it just didn't feel like home.

She jumped slightly as Ryan bolted past her.

"Can we get off this thing now?" he shouted to his parents. Jaz was happy to see he was enthusiastic. She longed to be like him, ready to explore this new place she'd learn to call her home, but the life she had left behind held her back. However, she did agree with him on one thing. She was desperate to get off the boat and onto dry land again. It seemed like forever since she had last felt the earth beneath her feet.

She and her brother followed their parents onto the ramp and off the ship. The family walked through the unfamiliar land.

A small settlement was established on a ridge, just beyond a forest. Trees stretched high up into the sky, their leaves dappling the light that poured through. It reminded Jaz of the forest she and Jack used to visit everyday. Thinking about it made her heart ache. She did her best to put it out of her mind.

"This is our new home" their father announced. Jaz was already well aware of it, but hearing him say it in words just made the realization to her even clearer. Getting used to this place would be no simple thing.

* * *

After a year of living in her new home, Jaz had grown accustom to the warm climate. She enjoyed the heat that had once been unknown to her. The sickness that she had once been infected with showed no signs of returning.

She still loved sitting by the fire of a night-time, watching in wonder as the bright embers from the flames rose up into the dark sky, each one giving off a tiny explosion before falling back down to the ground. She had taught her brother how to start one using different materials. He looked up to her, just as he always had. Jaz, being a hopeful girl, taught him to be optimistic. She showed him how to find the light in whatever situation he was stuck in, no matter how dark it may have seemed. She had a very strong relationship with her brother and did everything in her power to protect him.

The two of them spent most of their time together. In particular, they loved going into the forest that lay on the far side of the clearing near their house. Most of the time they would be alone whilst there, but every now and then they'd hear a gunshot followed by the mournful cry of an animal. Hunters used the forest regularly. Jaz had even seen the remains of some of their animal traps before.

It was an evening that the two siblings decided to go out into the forest. The atmosphere was hot and murky. Night was approaching fast.

They had done this bushwalk so many times before but something didn't sit well with Jaz this time round. Something was wrong, she could feel it. There was a faint musky smell that filled the air, growing stronger.

There had been no time to escape it; it all happened so fast. Flames began to engulf the forest around them, trapping them. Wasting no time, Jaz took hold of her brother's hand and ran. They had barely made it a few metres through the smoke. Ryan tripped on one of the many vines that covered the forest floor. He struggled, only making his leg further ensnared. Jaz did her best to try and untangle his foot but it wasn't coming free. Her eye was drawn to a sharp object that was embedded in one of the trees. Its smooth silver surface glowed in the fire. Jaz quickly ran over to it. It was a dagger. She assumed one of the more traditional based hunters must have left it there by accident. She didn't waste time thinking about it though, and hurried back over to her brother. She cut him free and they kept running.

The overpowering stench of smoke choked the two of them. Jaz's vision was blurred; the sound of the crackling flames muffling with the frightened screams of her brother. They were surrounded. The blazes tore at the trees around them, making it impossible to escape.

Through a small opening in the flames, Jaz made out the familiar hills of their home, remaining untouched by the nightmare she and Ryan were in. But the growing fire was close to covering up their only escape. She ran over to it with her brother.  
Just before they reached it, a loud cracking sounded above Ryan. The fire had burnt through the trunk of a tree. It snapped the wood, toppling down towards him.

Instinctively Jaz leapt forward and knocked him not only out of the way but to the safety of outside the forest. The tree came crashing down, landing on Jaz. It crushed her legs and lower body. Several flaming branches from the same tree broke off, cutting her off from her brother. He reached out through one of the small holes left, screaming her name. Jaz tried to wriggle forward to him. She did her best to extend her hand, grabbing hold of his.

"Get to safety!" she told him. Ryan shook his head.

"I can't leave you!" he protested. The heat was starting to burn the longer they kept their arms in between the branches. Jaz didn't have time to argue with him. She knew her fate already, but wasn't going to let Ryan know that.

"I'll be fine" she lied. "Just go!"

"I'm scared" he whimpered. Jaz clutched his hand tightly.

"I know." Even through the smoke and flames, she could see the dim light that came from their village.

"Follow the light" she ordered him. "It'll lead you home. Now go Ryan!" She let go of his hand, letting hers fall limp. The last thing she saw were the flames covering her brother's fearful face from view before everything went black.

* * *

The moonlight shone down through the scorched forest. A body lay on the ash covered undergrowth. Her body was bathed in the intense moonlight. Her amber eyes flashed open, as she gasped desperately for a breath of air.


	17. Discovering your Centre

**Sorry about leaving it on a rather annoying cliffhanger last chapter. I know many people asked me not to kill of Jaz, but this is my story. So you'll have to wait and read on to find out. **

* * *

Jaz's eyes flashed, drawing her out of the memory. She was in the ice crevasse. What had felt like hours of watching her memories had only been a few seconds. Her body was shaking from the shock of what she had just seen. Jack, who was beside her, helped support her already weak form. Jaz's mind searched for the words to describe what she had just seen. The girl of her memories…could that really have been her?

The memory of the mourning family rung clearly through her mind. It was one of the first things she had seen as Jaz Flame. She had felt so guilty after hearing about the girl who had passed away in a fire incident. But now she understood. She hadn't caused the fire; she had died from it. She was the girl. She had unknowingly been at her own funeral. The scared faces of her family remained entrenched in her mind.

As a human she had been full of hope and happiness, not hatred and anger. She was a completely different person in her past life. She had had a brother. She had a home, a family…Her thoughts stopped dead. She had a friend. She faced Jack.

"We knew each other" she choked out the words. "We were friends." Jack nodded. He had seen her memories many days ago, and even he still struggled to believe it to be true.

Jaz thought about what else she had seen in her memories.

"I was going to die" she murmured. "My family moved in order for my survival, but I ended up dying for my brother." Jack made a move to comfort her but quickly realized she was not upset by this knowledge.

"I saved him" she said over to herself. "I saved him!" Her exultation was disrupted by her heavy breathing. While she gasping for air, she suddenly understood everything.

"I'm not destruction" she whispered. The words from her memories rung clearly through her mind.

_"The moon's so bright and powerful."_

_"No way. You're light; I think I'll keep you."_

_"Follow the light."_

"I _am _a guardian." She looked up at the Moon.

Jaz looked over at Jack's broken staff. He followed her gaze.

"I can't fix it" he told her sadly.

"I know" Jaz said gently, her voice breaking from the cold exposure. "It's been severed by a blade of flames. Your magic has no effect on it." She crawled over, picking the two halves up and handing them to Jack.

"But mind does." She placed her hands upon his, moving them closer until the fragments of the staff were together. Once it was so, she held her hands out above the split. Jack pulled back when he became aware of what she was doing. He remembered how she had healed his burnt hand with her powers; she was planning on doing the same with his staff.

Jaz frowned at him. "I can't let you do this" he objected.

"I have to. There's no other way."

Jack refused. "You're too weak. If you do this, it'll use up the last of your energy. You'll die!" She stared at him straight in the eye, her gaze determined.

"Every minute I spend down here, I grow weaker. I have to do this now or else you'll be trapped here." She paused, leaning in to him a bit closer. "Please Jack, let me help you. I know I can never be forgiven for what I've done but you have to let me do this."

Hesitant, Jack held his staff out. She closed her hands over the crack. Both of them focused their energy. Sparks of light shone from underneath Jaz's hands, as the healing process started to take affect. Jack's eyes widened as he felt his staff grow powerful in his grasp once again. The wood around his hands started to glow a light blue as its power returned.

When it was complete, there was no indication that the staff had ever been broken. It was as strong as ever.

Jaz's breath was drawn from her as she felt the last of her energy drain away. Powerless, she lost her grip on the wood and fell backwards into the snow. Jack, who was so amazed that it had actually worked, saw her collapse.

"Jaz!" He gasped, leaping to her side. Her eyes were closed, her skin an almost white colour. He shook her but she didn't wake.

"No, no! Come on Jaz, stay with me!" He held her head with his hands, fear flooding his mind when he felt that her skin was as cold as his.

"Oh no" he whispered. Eyeing his staff from the corner of his eye, he picked her body up in his arms. He kicked up his staff. He tucked it securely under her arm. Once he was sure she was safe from falling from his grasp, he flew out of the crevasse as fast as he could. Normally he'd be worried about burning out her fire, but she was already passed that stage. Her body was cold in his hands as he carried her. He knew he had to find a way to help her before the Man in the Moon took her life away.

He had to get her to the Pole. North and the others would know how to save her. Problem was it was on the other side of the world. He had to hurry. She was almost out of time. Jaz was dying, fast.

* * *

By the time he reached the Pole, he was worn out from carrying her at the speed he had been going. But he forced himself to go even faster. She had sacrificed her energy for him, now it was his turn to return the favour. North's workshop came into view. The wind practically flung him through the window. Exhausted, his body dropped from the air. He landed heavily on the ground. Jaz's limp body rolled across the floor, his staff skidding the other way. The guardians appeared when they heard his entrance. All of them couldn't believe their eyes when they saw the two spirits, but were even more shocked when Jack crawled over to Jaz before his staff. He hurled himself on top of her body, feebly attempting to keep her warm. When he felt that she was still cold, he pressed his face into her shoulder.

"Jack!" North hollered, watching his uncharacteristic behaviour. "What is wrong?" Jack looked up at them, not realizing they had been there. His eyes were filled with tears.

"Her fire's burnt out!" he cried. Bunny ran forward to her. He pressed his paw against her neck, pulling back at its icy touch. His mouth opened slightly as if to speak. His eyes watered immediately. He cradled her body in his arms, moving her away from Jack.

"You're gonna be alright, Sparky" he whispered to her, trying to keep each word he spoke steady. "Just hang in there." He turned to the other guardians, holding her body as close to him as possible.

"What are you waiting for?" he yelled. "We have to help her!" North, shaking most of the shock of what was happening away, stepped forward and charged towards the next room.

"Bring her to the infirmary" he ordered Bunny. Bunny had to restrain himself from racing forward. Sandy followed them, a nervous look on his face. Tooth went to go with them, but stopped and looked to Jack. He kept his head down. She wanted to go over and comfort him but she knew that it would only make him feel worse. She hadn't known what had happened or where he'd found her, but one thing was for sure. Jack's mind was tormenting him for whatever had occurred.

She made a mental note to talk to him about it later. Right now, Jaz needed her. She took flight and left for the infirmary.

* * *

Bunny lay Jaz's body down on the bed. He wrapped the thickest blanket he could find over her. North had moved the heaters in the room so that they were directly above her and turned them to the hottest setting possible. Sandy was lighting all the candles that were scattered around the room. Tooth made sure the window was locked and that no cold air from outside could get in. Pretty soon, the room felt like a furnace. Bunny was the last of them to leave. He headed for the door, running into Jack as he went to enter. Bunny blocked the doorway forcefully with his arm.

"I don't think so mate" he growled. "I'm not letting you ruin her chances of recovery." Jack didn't shift from where he was.

"I need to see her." Bunny leaned forward until his face was almost touching Jack's.

"Well she doesn't need you. Not now and not ever." He shoved Jack out of the way, slamming the door shut.

"You go in there, you're a dead man."


	18. Regrets

Jack crouched by her bed with his hood up. He had managed to sneak past Bunny. He knew that if he was caught, Bunny wouldn't hesitate to harass him with ruthless attacks. But he didn't care. He had to see Jaz.

If she were to die now, he would never forgive himself. He blamed himself that she was like this. He hadn't trusted her when the workshop was attacked; he drove her to the point where she sided with Pitch; and she used the last of her power healing his staff. But not just that. He had kept the rivalry between them alive for over 300 years, even after he became a guardian. Actually that only made things worse. When children started to believe in him, he taunted Jaz and the fact that she was still invisible. He had done exactly what Bunny had done to him when he was unseen. He knew how painful it felt to be on the receiving end, and yet he took pride in his scorning.

Seeing her now, knowing what she had suffered for him, he wished he could take back it all back. His mind was drawn back to the friendship they had shared in their past life. Her memories were filled with his image. Why weren't his? When he had seen his own memories, he hadn't seen her once. Had he forgotten her when she left? Surely not. Guilt filled his mind at the thought of it being true. How could he have forgotten everything? He had been her best friend, they had done everything together. When he had seen the memories for himself, he had witnessed the connection between them. There was something there, something more than friendship. His past self had been so devastated when he discovered she was dying, and even more so when he found out she and her family were moving. Even the relationship he had had with her brother, as she had had with his sister, was strong.

Everything about her that he had known had been so special and so memorable. Why had he forgotten it? Before he had died, he had lost memory of her.

A memory played over in his subconscious.

_"I'll never forget you"_ she had told him on the waterfront. He wiped a tear from her cheek as it fell. He hated seeing her cry. He gazed into her bright blue eyes.

_"We'll meet again one day,"_ he comforted her. _"I promise."_

Jack opened his eyes, removing the memory from his thoughts.

"She didn't forget me" he murmured to himself. "She kept her promise."

Jaz as a mortal remembered him. Never once did she stop believing he would keep the promise he had made to her. When she had been reborn, her memories were taken from her. That wasn't her fault. Jack, the boy from her memory, never did end up seeing her again. Worst of all, he had forgotten her.

He whispered, "Why couldn't I?" He couldn't hold them back any longer. A single teardrop fell from his eye, rolling down his cheek and onto Jaz's hand. His released emotions started to make it snow. Jack looked up, noticing it.

"Oh no." He took a moment to pull himself together. He stood up, recollecting his tears. "Stop it!" he hissed at the snow as it fell. What was wrong with him? He didn't cry! He was the spirit of fun, not some emotional child. He shook his head, running his fingers through his hair. He had to get a hold of himself. This wasn't the real Jack Frost. He needed to find something to keep himself busy and his mind distracted.

Glancing down at Jaz, he took a step away from her. It felt like he was leaving a part of him behind. It was hard walking away from her when she was like this, but he forced himself to do so. Bunny, while he'd never admit it to anyone, was right. He wasn't helping her by being there. His sudden snowfall gave him proof of that. He dragged himself to the door. Quickly making sure no one was around, he slipped out of the room.

Less than twenty minutes had passed.

"Frost!" Bunny's infuriated yell could be heard from the other side of the Pole where Jack was relaxing. He winced when he heard it, but could hold back the smile that appeared on his face. He was in trouble again.

* * *

**Sorry that this chapter was short and not very exciting. The next one will hopefully be better. **


	19. Healing

**Thanks for all the support guys. I've reached over 100 reviews! So I decided to update (really) early this week. **

**Shoutouts:**

**frostbitten7- You've stuck with this story for so long. Your shoutout is long overdue!**

**FirefliesGlowInTheDark- Thanks for all the reviews recently. Knowing I have people like you reading, I'll be sure to keep updating. That's a promise.**

**moonshroom420- I know I gave you a shoutout not long ago, but you deserve another. **

**Guest (Ellie)- Glad you're enjoying the story. Thanks for reading.**

**There's one more thing I want to say before I continue with the story. I've gotten a lot of feedback over the past few chapters and I'm sensing you guys aren't liking Bunny too much right now. I just want to clear up that if you think I'm making him intentionally cruel to Jack of late, it's not because he hates him. As many of you have already guessed at in the earlier sections of the story, yes Bunny does have a crush on Jaz. He really cares about her and doesn't want to see her any more hurt. I'm not trying to make him seem like a pretty big jerk, it just sort of turned out that way. Hopefully this chapter will allow you to see things a bit more from his perspective.**

**Enjoy! **

* * *

Jaz had been in the heater-like infirmary for almost three days. She had not yet regained consciousness. All the guardians were growing very anxious by this knowledge. They checked up on her in short but frequent visits. The room had become too hot for any of them to stay in there too long. They took turns tending to her; stabilizing her body temperature, changing the dressings on her wounds and keeping them clean.

North had sent yetis to change her clothing over to new ones that were not torn or soaked in her own blood. They didn't seem to enjoy doing that chore at all, but they didn't question his orders. North had set the task of making her new clothes to a group of yetis the day she had been brought back to the Pole by Jack. They had dressed her in her new clothes, consisting of a dark ginger shirt and brown pants. Her belt hadn't had any major adjustments done to it, but she no longer wore it. It rested on the table opposite her bed. North had also given them the job of mending her old clothing, including replacing the missing fabric on her lower half of her shirt. Most of them weren't used to sewing, and found it a challenge.

The yetis that had changed her reported back to him when they saw the scars on her back. North, in disbelief, stormed into the infirmary. He looked down at the sleeping spirit. Her skin tone was slowly but surely returning to its normal colour. Carefully, he put his hand underneath her and turned her over enough for him to see her back. He drew the top of her shirt back, away from her shoulders. He almost dropped her, startled. Jagged letters were written in her skin. The blood was dry and mixed with the nightmare residue, creating a horrid murky colour. The infected wound spelt out Pitch Black. North quickly pulled her shirt back up and placed her down on her back just as Bunny walked in.

"How is she?" he asked, concerned. North felt her hand. He was thankful as warmth spread through him by her touch.

"Is slow," he informed Bunny. "But she is getting there." Bunny gave him an approved nod, walking over to the side of her bed. North stepped back, giving him some room.

He knew just how much Bunny cared for the girl. It was a bond that he had only ever seen him show similarity towards Sophie Bennett. He did everything he could to protect the misunderstood fire spirit. He was distraught when she arrived. Cold, on the verge of dying, covered in blood and scars. He had stayed by her side almost the entire time she had been recovering, despite the discomfort the exposure from the extreme heat was causing him. His eyes gave away how tired he was. He hadn't slept pretty much the whole three days. Tooth had already tried to convince him to rest, but Bunny had made it clear that he wouldn't until he was sure Jaz was alright.

North had to make sure he didn't see what was written. He came up to his side.

"Where is Jack?" he asked him. Bunny turned to look at him, unbelieving of what he had just asked.

"How should I know where the frozen ratbag has gotten to?" He moved his attention back on Jaz.

"Bunny," North's voice was firm. "You must settle this score you have with Jack. Do not forget, it was he who brought Jaz here."

Bunny crossed his arms. "It was also him who drove her away in the first place" he retorted angrily. North exhaled deeply, his eyes closing for a moment.

"End this rivalry, Bunny. For her sake." His gaze fell on Jaz. Bunny's eyes softened when he looked at her. His ears folded back and he couldn't help but sigh.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked North quietly.

He placed his hand on Bunny's shoulder. "Find Jack. Talk to him."

Suppressing a groan, he hopped over towards the door.

"If there's any change–" he began.

North chuckled. "I'll call for you, don't worry. Now go." Still cautious, Bunny left the room. North, hands on his waist, shook his head with a smile.

"Always so nervous" he said to himself. His attention was drawn to Jaz when a soft moaning came from her sleeping figure. At first he thought she might have been waking up. He leant over her anticipating her awakening. But his excited grin vanished when he realized she wasn't at all arousing. She was having a nightmare. He stepped back from her.

"Dingle" he called to one of the elves that stood in the doorway. Several of them looked at each other, confused as to which one of them he was talking to. One of them stepped forward, pushing the others out of the way, and pointed to himself.

"Find Sandy, bring him here." North directed. They were still confused as to who should complete the task given. The little elves ran around in circles as if trying to work out which way was which.

"Now!" North's voice made them all jump. They scampered across the ground, their bells tinkling loudly as they ran. They hurried through the workshop, tripping over their own feet and getting other the feet of others. They eventually found Sandy. They darted over to him, jumping up and down to get his attention. They waved their hands up in the air in front of him. Sandy looked at them in confusion. They started to point to the infirmary. Sandy gaze moved to where they were pointing. He formed a fire above his hair. The elves nodded. Quickly, Sandy glided through the workshop, into the infirmary. He wiped his forehead when he entered, making a silent statement about the warm temperature. North noticed his arrival.

"Ah Sandy!" he exclaimed. The two guardians looked at Jaz, restless in her sleep. Sandy formed the shape of a nightmare.

North nodded. "Can you help her?" Sandy nodded in return, producing a handful of dreamsand. He bound them into tight streams, allowing them to flow above her head. They attacked the nightmares and before long, had completely engulfed the darkness. He then shaped the golden sand into various things. A dreamsand tiger leapt playfully into the air, sending sparks of what looked to be fire flying from its paws. After everything she had been through, including loosing her dagger, Sandy could presume that seeing Blaze in her dreams would help her rest easy. The fiery feline crouched down, its tail straight in the air. Then it pounced on its imaginary prey. It started to roll around on it back, playfully kicking up with his hind legs. Both Sandy and North watched as Jaz's sleeping expression changed from fear to reassurance and delight. She smiled in her sleep.

North looked to the golden man, smiling in satisfaction at what he had done.

"Thank you, Sandy" he whispered instinctively. Sandy gave him a thumbs up as a response. He continued to control her dreams and ensure that no nightmares disturbed her slumber. North was starting to look quite flushed from the heat. Sandy gestured to the door, making a snowflake above his head. Thought he felt as though he needed to stay with her, North knew that Sandy was right. Staying in this heat for so long was not healthy unless you were the spirit of fire. He had other business that needed attending; finding Jack and talking to him. He had been in there for much longer than he should have been anyway. He trusted Sandy to watch over her until it was the next of the guardians turn to do so. Giving him and Jaz a final glance, he left the infirmary.

As soon as he was out, he inhaled a deep breath of the fresh cool air. It was only when he was outside that he recognized just have suffocating being in there actually was. Not only physically, but mentally too. His head seemed to be much clearer now that he could breathe properly.

* * *

Tooth was next to look after Jaz. The moment she entered the infirmary, she wanted to fly straight out again. It was so hot it made her feathers ruffle. Sandy looked exhausted as he passed her at the door. Tooth wasn't sure whether it was due to the heat or because he had been fighting off the nightmares.

She hovered over the sleeping girl's bed. She turned her head as Bunny ran in.

"What are you doing in here?" she questioned him. Bunny made his way over to the bedside.

"North promised to inform me if anything changed" he explained. "When he told me about the nightmares she was having, I came straight here." He went on to explain that he had spoken to Jack about putting aside their differences, at least until Jaz had healed. Tooth was pleasantly surprised to hear that the two of them had decided to get along. For them, it was a pretty big deal.

Jaz's eyelids started to twitch. Tooth landed back down on the ground, unsure what was going on. Her amber eyes suddenly opened. She gasped for air, making Tooth jump. Jaz's limbs started to flail. She had no idea where she was or what was going on. Bunny hurried to her side, doing his best to comfort her. He held her close, restraining her thrashing arms. His eyes reflected a feeling of protection. When she looked into them, she began to calm down.

"Bunny?" she whispered hoarsely. He nodded slowly, giving her a small smile. Sighing in relief, Jaz lay her head back down on the pillow it had been resting on. She looked around, seeing Tooth there as well.

"What's going on?" She gazed down at herself, confused as to why she was in different clothes.

Tooth flew closer to her. "Do you remember anything of what happened?" she asked her softly. Jaz thought about the question.

"I remember…I remember it was cold" she murmured, thinking hard as she tried to recall the events of a few days ago. "We were trapped. And, my memories…" She held her hand to her head, brushing her streaked hair from her eyes.

"My memories…" Her sentence trailed off again. Tooth stroked her forearm comfortingly.

"It's ok" her voice was affectionate. "You'll remember." Being the guardian of memories, she was certain Jaz's memory of what had occurred would return to her given time.

The two girls only just noticed Bunny was no longer with them. Tooth looked around, spotting him standing on the other side of the room with his back to them. He spun back around, holding a mug filled with liquid. He walked back over and held it to Jaz's lips.

"Blow" he instructed her gently. She did so with questioning him. As soon as the air she had breathed made contact with the water, steam started rising from the cup. Bunny forced himself to keep hold of the now searing glass. He tilted the mug whilst supporting her head. The hot water poured down her throat. He made sure she had consumed the entire thing. She coughed and spluttered once he was done but licked her lips, enjoying the extra warmth it had brought her. She rested her head back down, her eyelids heavy.

"Thank you" she mumbled to Bunny. He placed the glass back down on the bench her had found it on. Tooth placed her hand to her forehead, nodding at Bunny. The heat of her body was on the increase. At this rate, she'd be back to normal in mere hours, provided that she got plenty more rest and hot fluids.

"Good news," Tooth said to her. "You'll soon be back to your normal self." Jaz didn't seem at all thrilled by this news.

"What's wrong?" she asked. Jaz's eyes flickered to Bunny, then to Tooth. If Tooth was to know, she didn't want Bunny to hear. Tooth understood. She faced Bunny.

"I think you should let me speak to her alone" she murmured to him. Bunny looked as though he weren't planning on going anywhere.

"I'm not leaving her, Tooth" he protested. Tooth didn't give him the choice. She practically pushed him out the door, closing and locking it behind him.

"Tooth!" Bunny's muffled voice came from outside as he banged his paws up against the door. "Open the bloody door!"

Tooth ignored him. She turned back to Jaz, seeing that she had rolled over. Tooth noticed something underneath the fabric of her shirt. It was a hard to work out what it was, and could only see very little of what it was. She cautiously reached out for the ginger shirt. She pulled it down over her shoulders. She gasped when she caught sight of the writing.

"Do the others know about this?" she asked once she had recovered from the shock of it. Jaz twisted her neck to look at her. Her eyes were filled with the tears she was so desperately trying to keep from falling.

She sniffed. "Only Jack, I think" she responded. "Please Tooth," she begged. "Promise me you won't tell Bunny. I can't let him see it. I just can't." Tooth looked down at her, feeling sorry for the poor girl. Even though she hated the idea of keeping this from the others, she understood why she was so disinclined towards Bunny finding out about it.

"I won't tell him" Tooth promised. "But the others need to know; at least North." Jaz stayed quiet for a few moments, but nodded reluctantly. Tooth gave her a courteous look before letting Bunny back inside. Jaz pulled her shirt back up just before he entered.

"Keep resting" Tooth told her. "You need it." Feeling the affects of the heat, she flew out of the room. Bunny was left alone with her.

"I don't suppose you're going to tell me what went on just then, are you?" Jaz shook her head as a simple reply. Bunny sighed, knowing that was the answer he was going to receive.

"Worth a shot" he commented, taking a seat next to her bed. He stroked his paw across her forehead, brushing her hair away from her eyes and caressing her chin and neck. She closed her eyes momentarily while he did so, relishing his touch.

"Are you hungry?" he asked her. Jaz casted him a look of disbelief.

"I don't eat. I'm a spirit, remember?"

Bunny smirked at her attitude. "Maybe so, but food will help you recover faster. Isn't that what you want?" Jaz wasn't sure if he was telling the truth or not. One thing was certain though; she wanted to regain her strength as quick as possible. She gave him a look of approval towards his suggestion. She couldn't remember the last time she had voluntarily eaten.

He went back over to the table he had gotten the water from. Since his body was in the way, she couldn't make out what he was doing. He came back over, handing her another mug. She looked inside and saw a thick substance of a similar colour to her shirt. Like he had done before, Bunny held her head back and forced it down. It was disgusting! Vile tasting pulp sliding down her throat, getting stuck halfway. She couldn't tell whether it was a liquid or a solid, or somewhere in between. This so-called food Bunny was feeding her made her want to vomit. She gagged, trying to cough it back up. Just when she thought it was over, the aftertaste kicked in. Bitter, pasty, and just downright nasty. Bunny kept her head slanted back to help it flow down into her system.

"What was that?!" she exclaimed, spitting up chunks of orange.

"Carrot purée" he responded with a smile. Jaz held her tongue, trying to rub the repulsive taste off it with the back of her hand.

"I'm not a rabbit. You do realize that, don't you?

Bunny smirked. "Of course. But it's good for you." Jaz shuddered.

"If that's good for me," she scoffed, "I think I'll stick with not eating."


	20. Flickering Lights

**Sorry it's taken so long to update. I wanted to put this chapter up a few days ago, but had no time to do it. Don't expect frequent updates from here on out. I'm busy like you would not believe. Will try to make updates ASAP.**

* * *

Jack stood beside North, gazing up at the Globe. The belief lights were starting to go out. Noticing their disappearance, Jack soared up for a closer look.

"Why are they going out?" Jack called down to North. North's eyes were fixed on the Globe. Jack came back down, landing beside him.

"I don't understand. We saved Christmas but the children still don't believe." North went to answer him, but was interrupted as Sandy flew in. He had been out bringing dreams to the children of the world. Something was wrong. He was looking even more worn out than before. He collapsed, landing on his hands and knees. Jack ran over to him to make sure he was ok. There was black sand dusted on his arms.

"Sandy!" North bellowed. "What happened?" Dreamsand formed multiple raging fearlings above his head. The sand figures attacked viciously before the whole image disintegrated.

"Nightmares" he realized. Sandy nodded, his head dropping in exhaustion. North stood up straight, slamming his foot down on the ground in annoyance.

"They've gotten stronger." He turned to Jack. "That is why the lights have been going out. Children all over the world are being plagued with nightmares; nightmares that are too powerful for the dreams to overcome." As he spoke the last few words of his sentence, he gazed at Sandy for a moment before turning back to the Globe.

"I should have seen this" he muttered to himself. "No wonder Manny was forced to choose new guardian. Pitch is stronger than ever before."

Jack was beginning to understand now. There was definitely something different about Pitch. He had brought darkness and fear, spreading his nightmares to haunt every child's dream. But he had never actually harmed them. This time that wasn't such a problem for him. He had manipulated Jaz before torturing her, body and mind. He exposed her to her greatest weakness and wished her dead. Jack knew that she shouldn't have survived.

When Jack had been chosen as a guardian, Pitch had limits as to what he was willing to do. Those limitations he had were now gone. His lust for revenge had grown to an unbelievable extent.

North was right. They all should have known things would be different. Before Jack, the Man in the Moon hadn't chosen a new guardian in hundreds of years. Only two years after him, Jaz was picked.

Jack looked to the other guardians around him. They had to do something to keep children believing in them before they were too weak to fight. If the guardians lost their powers this time, there would be no chance of winning the fight. Jack still didn't have many believers, and wouldn't be as affected as the others, but that wasn't going to be much help either way.

"What to we do?" he asked. The teeth had stopped being collected, dreams were taken over by nightmares, Christmas had been on the brink of demise.

"We must keep children believing" North stated. He glanced at Jack. "Go see them; find out how strong the nightmares are. We must learn Pitch's plan before he carries it out."

Jack nodded, taking flight on the wind. He shot out of the workshop. Burgess was first on his list of places to check. It was where majority of his believers lived, so he could ask them about the nightmares.

He landed on the ground, looking around for any familiar faces.

"Jack!" he heard his name being shouted. He turned around to see the twins approaching him fast on their skateboards.

"Hey guys" he called back to them. They jumped off the boards once they had reached him.

"Had a nice Christmas?" He hoped by reminding them of the holiday that had just passed, he would continue their faith in the guardians. They nodded half-heartedly.

"It was ok" Caleb shrugged. Jack's face dropped when he heard the lack of enthusiasm in his voice. Neither of them was smiling, and both were looking very tired.

"Jack," Claude mumbled. "Has something happened to the Sandman?" He looked at his brother. "We've both been having nightmares recently." Jack already knew this information, though he didn't want to believe it. He thought about what to say.

"Pitch," he began. "He's returned. We're doing everything we can" he assured them. They exchanged a worried glance.

"Sandy, uh, Sandman's doing his best to fight off the nightmares. Don't loose faith in us. You're belief is what keeps us strong remember." The boys didn't look too convinced, but nodded anyway.

"We will" they murmured as one. Jack forced a smile.

"I'll bring you guys some fresh snow once this is all sorted out" he promised them. That seemed to lift their spirits a bit.

"Thanks Jack" Claude said in a slightly happier tone.

His brother nodded. "That would be great" Caleb agreed. Jack waved his farewell to them, flying off in search of more people to restore hope to. Despite their pleased reactions to his promise, they still seemed miserable.

He spotted Jamie and Sophie in the front yard of their house with their greyhound, Abbey. Jack knew what he had to do. The battle with Pitch was on the horizon, and there was no way of avoiding it. He hated the thought of bringing Jamie into it again, but he had no other choice. The guardians needed the belief of the children to be strong enough in this fight.

He glided down, picking up a handful of snow. He might as well have some fun with them first. He tossed it while Jamie's back was turned. It hit him, making him stagger forward. Sophie clapped and laughed.

"Huh?" Jamie rubbed the back of his head, figuring out what had happened. He spun around to see the fun-loving winter spirit. He cried out his name in excitement, almost tripping as he ran over to him.

"Whoa, take it easy" Jack steadied him, helping him keep his balance. Jamie pulled his hat up, smiling. Abbey suddenly darted forward. She jumped at Jamie, barking loudly. Jack watched in amusement as he toppled over. Jamie struggled underneath her.

"Jack! A little help?" Jack took a moment to consider his options. He flicked his wrist, sending a snowflake floating through the air. It landed on the dog's nose. She shook her head at the sensation, sneezing. Jamie quickly scrambled out from under her. Her tongue lolled from her mouth. She caught sight of her tail and started to chase it. Her barking became more like an ecstatic yapping. She ran in circles trying to catch her own tail. Jamie got to his feet, laughing.

"How did you do that?" he asked Jack. Jack smiled, not entirely sure how to answer. He didn't know how or even why his snow had an influence on human, and now apparently dog, behaviour and feelings.

Sophie, who had been watching the whole time, hopped over to them like a bunny. She pointed to Abbey, giggling.

"Snowflake!" she exclaimed. Jack loved seeing her like this, excited and hopeful. He formed another snowflake in his hand for her. The wind carried it around her. She watched it with wide eyes. Her arms stretched up in the air as she tried to grab it.

"Pretty!"

The two boys looked on as she continued her pursue of the snowflake. Jack decided it was time to tell Jamie the truth of why he was there. He placed his hand on his shoulder, drawing him to the side. Jamie looked up at him in concern.

"Jamie," he began. There was no easy way to say it. "Pitch is back." Jamie pulled back slightly by his declaration.

"He's back?" Jamie's voice became a whisper. He glanced over at his sister, still having fun with the snow. He looked back at Jack.

"How?"

Jack sighed. "Unfortunately there will always be fear." He repeated the very words Pitch had said after his last defeat. Jamie looked hopeful.

"But you and the guardians can stop him, right? You beat him before, you can do it again." His words only made Jack feel worse. How could he possibly tell a boy full of such optimism that Pitch had become too powerful, even for them. He couldn't bring himself to say it.

"Sure we can" he tried to sound confident, tousling his hair. "Can we count on you to help?" Jamie nodded without a second thought.

"Of course! I'll never stop believing in you guys."

* * *

Jaz lay awake in the infirmary. She felt as though she had been lying there for weeks. The yeti that had patched up her clothes had just left after giving them back to her. She was rather impressed by the quality of stitching he had achieved on her shirt. It looked brand new. However, she was annoyed that he had sewn up the rips in her pants.

She spotted a scalpel lying on a table next to her. An idea formed in her head. She smiled slyly and reached over to grab it. She carefully pressed the knife to the fabric, tearing through it effortlessly. Having spent over 300 years with a blade of her own always at hand, she had become skilled at using razors of all sorts. She finished her cut design in no time. Jaz didn't hesitate to change back into her usual clothes, along with her belt. In her opinion, they suited her much better than the new garments she had been dressed in.

Being back in her own clothes felt a little strange at first. She wasn't used to wearing attire that was not covered in ash. But it didn't worry her too much. Her strength was returning, and so soon would the cinder that she had grown accustom to.

She was alone. It was the first time since she had awoken that she had been the only occupant of the room. The other guardians were all busy trying to restore the belief of the children; the belief that she had helped destroy. It tormented her mind, knowing what she had done. She knew she shouldn't be alive. The Man in the Moon should have taken her life. But the guardians had saved her and tended to her every need to ensure she recovered. She didn't deserve their help or their kindness. She had betrayed them when she sided with Pitch and couldn't ever forgive herself for it.

Her eyes flashed up at the sound of the door opening. She had expected Bunny, or North. Maybe Sandy to help her deal with the nightmares she had been having. She was stunned when Jack entered. She hadn't seen him the entire time she was there. She had thought the heat of the room would have been too much for him to be able to handle. She was right.

He was already looking tired from it. Cold sweat dripped from his brow, down the side of his face.

"Why are you in here?" she questioned him. He wiped his forehead dry.

"Just seeing how you're doing." Jaz narrowed her eyes. She didn't believe for a second that he would risk coming into a room that could make him thaw just to check up on his long-time rival.

"What's the real reason?" Jack seemed taken aback, almost hurt.

"I told you, I wanted to see how you were recovering."

Jaz looked away from him. "I'm fine" she muttered. He sat down on the end of the bed.

He shifted uncomfortably. The room silenced.

"Thanks for what you did in Antarctica." He looked at the newly mended staff in his hand. "I know how hard that must have been for you, using the last of your power to repair my staff." Jaz's expression remained unreadable. Most of her memory had returned.

"It was the least I could do after everything else I had done. Besides, you came looking for me; despite the fact that I had tried to kill you–"

"That was Pitch, not you" Jack cut her off. "He was in control of your mind."

Jaz shook her head. "No. I was tempted by him. Even when he was controlling me, I knew what I was doing" she said bleakly. "I wanted to stop the guardians; I wanted to save Pitch when I did..." She paused, looking into his eyes sorrowfully. "I wanted to kill you."

Silence fell upon them. Jack thought about what she had told him.

"Then what made you break free of his control?" he had to ask. Jaz gazed down at her belt, inserting her fingers into the empty vessel on the side.

"He ordered me to kill Blaze. I wouldn't do it, so he demanded I give him my dagger, claiming he'd do it himself. He told me it was a sign of loyalty to him. I couldn't let him do it. I freed myself from the grip his fear had on me; but when I tried to escape him, he trapped me there." Her words faded away.

"He'll be alright" Jack assured her, referring to Blaze. He remembered what Pitch had said about the blade only working by her hand. "Pitch's shadows can only shroud your dagger. He can't destroy it, or summon Blaze." Jaz looked up at him, grateful for his reassuring words.

"Jack," Jaz spoke up again. "My snow globe. Is that it there?" Jack glanced over to where she was pointing. Sure enough, a snow globe was resting on the table. He wasn't sure if it was hers, or even why she was asking about it.

"I don't know." She hauled her upper body upwards, swinging her legs over the side. She struggled to stand. Jack jumped to his feet.

"Wait, what are you doing?" he startled as she stumbled across the room. She ignored his question, picking up the globe. She examined it carefully.

"Not mine," she said to herself, disappointed. "But it'll do." She whispered something into it and smashed it onto the ground. Jack ran forward, but the portal closed over before he could reach her. His blinked his eyes multiple times, regaining his sight after the blinding light of the portal had vanished. But that wasn't the only thing that had disappeared.

When the light cleared, Jaz was gone.

* * *

**The next chapter is the one you've all been waiting for, so bear with me until then.**


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